As WHO Swine Flu advisors are revealed, PACE rapporteur renews call for greater transparency

Paul Flynn (UK, SOC), former rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on the handling of the H1N1 pandemic, has welcomed this week's publication by the World Health Organization of the list of members of its Emergency Committee on the influenza pandemic, as well as their declarations of interest.

A day earlier, the WHO's Director General, Margaret Chan, announced that the phase 6 of influenza pandemic alert is now officially over, saying: 'We are now moving into the post-pandemic period. The new H1N1 virus has largely run its course.'

She explained that these are the views of members of the Emergency Committee, which based its assessment on the global situation, as well as reports from several countries that are now experiencing influenza. 'As we enter the post-pandemic period, this does not mean that the H1N1 virus has gone away. Based on experience with past pandemics, we expect the H1N1 virus to take on the behavior of a seasonal influenza virus and continue to circulate for some years to come,' Dr Chan stated.