Swine flu

Green MEPs and MEPs from other groups today called for a European Parliament inquiry committee to examine the circumstances of the A(H1N1) (swine flu) outbreak and the EU response. Greek Green MEP Michalis Tremopouloscommented:

"The exaggerated alarm caused by the swine flu outbreak led governments to spend billions of Euro on unnecessary vaccines at a time of deep economic crisis. Millions of Europeans were treated like guinea pigs, receiving a vaccine that was not tested adequately beforehand. The swine flu virus outbreak was treated as a pandemic on the basis of pure speculation. I support calls for the creation of a European Parliament inquiry committee to investigate what happened and help to safeguard public health in future."

French Green MEP Michèle Rivasi commented:

"The announcement of a pandemic was a massive false alarm. Expensive and disproportionate solutions were recommended. Who was directing European health institutions and can European citizens really be confident that future pandemics will be properly handled without a rethink of how they are approached? Parliamentary committees were created in the wake of the BSE crisis and after the Equitable Life financial scandal. Considering the billions spent by Member States to address the H1N1 issue, it is right for the European Parliament to investigate."