Virologist Ab Osterhaus denies that he has profited from concerns about the Mexican flu epidemic. Geert Wilders' Freedom Party had accused him of having a conflict of interests because as well as advising the government on how to tackle the influenza A(H1N1) virus, he works one day in the week for a company which researches vaccines.

In NOS public television chat show Pauw & Witteman Freedom Party MP Fleur Agema said, “If this is true I think the government should break any contact it has with him immediately.”

Professor Osterhaus says any profits made by the Rotterdam company ViroClinics, which is affiliated with the Erasmus Medical Centre, goes to scientific research. He also holds a 10 percent share in the company. He says, “Nothing he has done is wrong or secretive. After all universities and governments are not able to produce their own vaccines.”

The virologist points out that he advises several organisations including the World Health Organisation, which has no reservations about his job for with the vaccine company. He is also regularly interviewed by Radio Netherlands Worldwide. “If I were doing something that was not allowed, I wouldn’t be advising prominent organisations like the WHO,” he told Dutch press agency ANP.

His recommendation as a member of the Dutch Health Council was an important factor in the government’s decision to buy 34 million vaccines so that everyone in the Netherlands could receive two flu jabs.

It is not known when an emergency debate will be held with Health Minister Ab Klink.