February 21, 2012

To be able to cope with the bird flu virus which threatens an outbreak across the country, Vietnam will import 50 million vaccine doses soon, said Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat.

Currently Vietnam has six million of bird flu vaccine doses and the volume does not meet the needs in many provinces and cities for protecting their poultry flocks, the minister said.

Phat called on the Finance Ministry to assist importing companies to purchase vaccines. The ministry planned to import 100 million of bird flu vaccine doses in 2012.

Meanwhile, the disease has reoccurred in 11 provinces and cities in all three regions, affecting 12,000 chickens and ducks and killing two people.

There is no vaccine against the disease caused by new virus strain Clade 2.3.2 so the ministry called on localities to apply other measures such as hygienic and disinfection the infested areas with chemicals to prevent the disease spread.

Local authorities are asked to tighten control over animal slaughtering and transport.