August 15, 2005

Vietnam to start nationwide poultry vaccination

Vietnam will begin in September its nationwide poultry vaccination programme against bird flu viruses, including the pathogenic H5N1 strain. Other than poultry birds such as chickens and ducks, wild birds like geese, quails and pigeons will also be vaccinated, the country's Veterinary Department said on Aug 15.

Localities had been asked to prepare the necessary equipment and manpower for the vaccination. In the coming months, the programme will target 48 cities and provinces with high risks of bird flu outbreaks.

The pilot vaccination programme in southern Tien Giang province and northern Nam Dinh province had been successful, the Veterinary Department announced.

Vietnam will also have in stock 415 million doses of Chinese and Dutch vaccines by end-September. Vaccinating 160 million poultry in the 2005-2006 period will cost the Philippines about VND446.6 billion (US$28.3 million).

Since late 2003, about 91 human cases of infections, including 41 fatalities, have been reported in 31 cities and provinces in the country.

Up to 70 percent of waterfowls in Vietnam's southern Mekong delta have also tested positive for the pathogenic bird flu strain H5N1. The country has culled 4,620 poultry, mainly ducks and chickens, after bird flu outbreaks in Hanoi and the three other southern localities last month.