May 22, 2007
Vietnam starts second round of bird flu vaccinations
Vietnam has began second round of poultry vaccinations against bird flu after it has imported 100 million doses of the vaccine from China last week.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has warned provinces, particularly in Mekong Delta, are facing new risks of bird flu outbreaks in summer.
Bird flu was detected in the north-central province of Nghe An after blood samples from 1,400 dead ducks tested positive for the H5N1 virus.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Bui Ba Bong said there was a danger of recurrence in the northern and central provinces of Ha Tay, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Thanh Hoa and Ha Tinh.
The ministry has also recently asked provincial authorities to step up the oversight of quarantine teams and closely monitor the sale, transport and processing of poultry products, especially at border checkpoints.
Bong said failure by farmers to implement regulations set by the ministry had led to the outbreak in Nghe An Province. The minister said young poultry in the province had not been vaccinated.
Bong said bird flu could spread more easily in cooler weather.
Vietnam began the first round of poultry vaccination at the beginning of this year and 30 provinces have completed this round with over 5.6 million doses used.
