November 23, 2005

Vietnam expedites poultry vaccinations against bird flu
 

Vietnamese authorities said the country was expediting poultry vaccinations against bird flu, in a bid to curb the spread of the disease.

Bui Quang Anh, director of the Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said bird flu usually happened first and mostly in the southern region in the past. Thus, the government has given priority to poultry vaccinations in the south.

He added that poultry that received the full vaccination course have not fallen ill, and expressed optimism that proper poultry vaccinations together with other measures would " help us achieve good results."

According to Bui, Vietnam vaccinated poultry based on recommendations by relevant international organisations, and other countries with experience in dealing with bird flu.

So far, 80 to 90 million poultry have been vaccinated nationwide with many already given the second dose, according to Bui. He expected the total number of vaccinated poultry to reach 170 million soon.

Meanwhile, the government has allocated VND60 billion (about US$3.8 million) towards importing vaccines mainly from China, Bui said. He added that 500 million more doses would be purchased from China.

According to Bui, the government has requested China to transfer its vaccine production technology to Vietnam, and China has "agreed to look into the issue." By producing its own vaccines, Vietnam would be able to step up poultry vaccinations.

At the same time, the government has stepped up anti-bird flu measures by strengthening such activities at the community level, helping poultry farmers change occupations and calling for more international help.

In addition, 900,000 poultry nationwide have been culled. Bui explained that this figure included healthy ones as well because Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and central Da Nang city have recently stopped raising poultry in their inner areas.