Influenza pandemic meetings held

GENEVA, Switzerland, May 8 (UPI) -- The World Health Organization is gathering influenza and planning experts for meetings to address the continued threat of a global influenza pandemic.

The WHO says 120 experts from U.N. member countries and research institutions among others are currently meeting in Geneva to discuss the evolving threat an influenza pandemic poses on health and security around the world. The experts are reviewing the current WHO pandemic preparedness guidance, along with scientific and situational developments, the World Health Organization reported.

Officials say part of the review is to look at the new international health regulations, global pandemic influenza action plans, vaccine stockpiles and pandemic severity scales among other key items.

"One day we will face a pandemic but we don't know when," Keiji Fukuda, WHO global influenza program coordinator, said in a statement. "So what can we do? We can take action to improve our ability to decrease the risk of harm from a pandemic. We hope to improve the guidance and the practical tools we give to member states through our efforts this week."