EU weighs poultry vaccination to counter bird flu

EU regulators may allow national governments to vaccinate poultry flocks as a precaution against the spread of dangerous strains of bird flu, officials said yesterday. Until now, vaccination has been allowed only in limited circumstances. But with the lethal H5N1 virus creeping closer - the latest case is in birds in northern Cyprus - that may change, especially as the spring migratory season approaches.

The European Commission, which monitors national programmes to fight the virus, has shied away from generalised preventive vaccination, saying the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. "With H5N1 on Europe's borders for several months now, there is an ongoing risk. It's a new situation, and in a new situation, new approaches may have to be considered," a Commission official said, adding that this was still an internal discussion.

"Until now, it (vaccination) has been allowed for emergency vaccination but not preventive. Now, preventive vaccination could be allowed based on the risk and an analysis of the risk. It's an option that could be considered," he said.

Preventive vaccination is being used in a pilot project in certain areas of Italy where low pathogenic bird flu viruses often recur. But the Commission has said it would be impossible to maintain the strict checks necessary to vaccinate the billions of poultry kept for farming purposes across the EU.

Bird flu is endemic in poultry across parts of Asia and has spread to flocks in eastern Europe. The virus can infect people who have close contact with infected birds and has killed at least 83 people since it reemerged in late 2003.

A number of EU governments, such as the Netherlands, have expressed interest in vaccination as a precautionary measure.

One of the world's top poultry exporters, the Netherlands is seen as a country where the risk of the disease spreading is higher than elsewhere in the EU due to its huge poultry flock.

Allowing mass preventive vaccination also raises a number of trade issues, with a possible loss of sales and export revenue from consumer rejection of products from vaccinated animals.

EU rules require that vaccinated birds can be differentiated from infected birds and that specific surveillance and control measures are in place - to minimise restrictions on trade in poultry and poultry products from the vaccinated areas.

If preventive vaccination were to become accepted as a mainstream measure against bird flu, the member state would first have to apply to Commission authorities in Brussels with a detailed justification, the official said.