Finland, the world’s first country to do so, plans to provide preventive bird flu vaccination.
As early as next week to certain workers who have contact with animals, according to a Tuesday announcement from health authorities.
40 Million Bird Flu Doses
As part of a cooperative EU procurement of up to 40 million doses for 15 nations.
The Nordic nation purchased vaccines for 10,000 individuals, each of which consists of two injections.
The producer is CSL Seqirus. According to the European Commission, Finland will introduce the vaccination first.
“The vaccine will be offered to those aged 18 or over who are at increased risk of contracting avian influenza
due to their work or other circumstances,” the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) said in a statement.
H5N1 Strain
Over the past few years, the H5N1 strain of bird flu. That has killed or forced the culling of hundreds of millions of poultry worldwide.
It is also progressively spreading to mammals, such as cows in the US, and, in certain cases, to humans. According to THL, Finland has not discovered the virus in people.
Nonetheless, considering the hazards of transmission posed by its fur farms, the nation is keen to implement vaccination programs.
“The conditions in Finland are very different in that we have fur farms where the animals can end up in contact with wildlife,” Chief Physician Hanna Nohynek at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL)
In an effort to stop the virus from spreading to humans and other animals.
485,000 mink and foxes at Finland’s primarily open-air fur farms were culled last year due to widespread outbreaks of bird flu.
THL Representative
According to a THL representative who talked, vaccinations might begin as early as next week in at least some areas of Finland.
Finland announced that it has obtained vaccinations for individuals it considered to be vulnerable, including workers at fur and poultry farms.
Lab technicians handling samples of bird flu, and veterinarians serving as animal control officers in areas with fur farms.
People working in sanctuaries caring for wild birds, in livestock farms or in the cleaning of premises, such as animal by-products processing plants, will also be offered vaccines, THL said.
To read our blog on “Bird flu outbreak spreads to dairy cows in the US,” click here
