Viet Nam Seeks World Help With Avian-Flu Vaccination
HA NOI — Chairman of the National Steering Committee on Avian Influenza Control and Prevention Cao Duc Phat yesterday called for further assistance from the international community to help Viet Nam vaccinate poultry vulnerable to avian flu, at a meeting in Ha Noi. "Viet Nam is facing challenges controlling avian flu, including the need to find a way to successful move beyond subsidized vaccination of poultry, which is very costly and requires the mobilization of tens of thousands of people for each campaign," said Phat. The annual meeting aims to review efforts to better control the avian and human influenza pandemic in Viet Nam. In September 2008, Viet Nam started large-scale vaccination operations throughout the country under the National Program of Avian Influenza Control and Eradication, the program administered about 750 million doses of H5N1 (avian influenza) vaccine from 2007–2008. About 365 million doses of H5N1 vaccine were administered between 2005-2006. "It is timely for us to come together now, to take stock of the current situation, mobilize resources and work on key issues as we move forward together to consolidate control of the virus," said the minister. "While we can say that the virus is basically under control, after five years of great effort we are still experiencing sporadic outbreaks in poultry, as well as five human cases in the first two months of this year. This underlines the great difficulty in bringing this virus under control in the current context," he warned. (cont)
Source: VNA
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