CHICAGO/LONDON (Reuters) – The US and Europe plan to acquire or manufacture H5N1 bird flu vaccines for at-risk workers. These include poultry and dairy workers, veterinarians, and lab technicians. Experts believe these measures could curb the threat of a pandemic.
U.S. officials moved bulk vaccine from CSL Seqirus into finished shots last week. This could provide 4.8 million vaccine doses. European health officials are in talks to acquire CSL’s prepandemic vaccine.
Canadian health officials met with GSK, maker of Canada’s flu shots. They discussed acquiring and manufacturing a prepandemic bird flu vaccine. This would occur once seasonal flu production capacity is available.
Other countries, including the UK, are discussing how to proceed on prepandemic vaccines, scientists said.
The actions follow the explosive spread of a new strain of bird flu that emerged in late 2020 and has caused unprecedented numbers of deaths among wild birds and domestic poultry and has begun infecting many mammal species.
In March, U.S. officials reported the first outbreak of the virus in dairy cattle, which has infected dozens of herds in nine states and two dairy workers. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has estimated that 20% of the U.S. milk supply shows signs of the virus, indicating a wider spread is likely.
Human exposures to the virus in poultry and dairy operations could increase the risk that the virus will mutate and gain the ability to spread easily in people.
Moreover, vaccination could alleviate the economic burden on the poultry industry, which often suffers significant losses during bird flu outbreaks.
Looking ahead, the consideration of bird flu vaccination by US and European nations underscores the importance of preparedness in combating zoonotic diseases.
Additionally, ongoing research and collaboration among countries will be vital in developing effective vaccines and strategies.
read more
image source
