Statement: NSABB Review of Revised H5N1 Manuscripts
NIH Director Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D.
April 20, 2012
Extract
“On March 29 and 30, the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB), an independent expert committee that advises the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other Federal departments and agencies on matters of biosecurity, convened to review unpublished revised manuscripts describing NIH-funded research on the transmissibility of H5N1 influenza virus—the strain commonly referred to as “bird flu.”…The NSABB reviewed the revised manuscripts to make recommendations as to whether, and if so how, they should be communicated…
“…During its March meeting, the NSABB took into account the new and clarified information in the manuscripts, additional perspectives provided by influenza biology experts, highly pertinent but as yet unpublished epidemiologic data, and relevant security information.
“After careful deliberation, the NSABB unanimously recommended the revised manuscript by Dr. Yoshihiro Kawaoka be communicated in full. The NSABB also recommended, in a 12-to-6 decision, that the data, methods, and conclusions presented in the revised manuscript by Dr. Ron Fouchier be communicated fully after a number of further scientific clarifications are made in the manuscript. The recommendation to communicate the research was based on the observation that the information in the revised manuscripts has direct applicability to ongoing and future influenza surveillance efforts and does not appear to enable direct misuse of the research in ways that would endanger public health or national security.
“The HHS Secretary and I concur with the NSABB’s recommendation that the information in the two manuscripts should be communicated fully and we have conveyed our concurrence to the journals considering publication of the manuscripts. This information has clear value to national and international public health preparedness efforts and must be shared with those who are poised to realize the benefits of this research….”
vaccines and global health :: ethics and policy 