January 3, 2007

Vietnam to import 25 million doses of H5N1 vaccine

Vietnam plans to import 25 million doses of H5N1 vaccine and 4.5 million doses of H5N9 vaccine to conduct additional inoculation for waterfowls amid bird flu outbreaks. 

The Veterinary Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said the Ministries of Finance, Science and Technology, Planning and Investment and MARD has met and reached agreements with Merial Company and the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute of China on importation of vaccines against bird flu.

The department reported bird flu outbreaks in Long My district, Hau Giang province in the Mekong delta, bringing the total number of affected localities to three, including the southernmost province of Ca Mau and the Mekong Delta province of Bac Lieu.

The MARD recently decided to include geese into the list of poultry subject to vaccination in an effort to contain and eliminate the highly pathogenic avian influenza The Department has also asked localities to immunise geese with H5N9 vaccines.

The MARD will conduct nationwide additional vaccination for poultry, particularly waterfowls, in January and February 2007 and will cull all backyard poultry which have been vaccinated or have not followed bird flu control regulations.