Defra to order 10 million doses of bird flu vaccine

Despite continuing to rule out the use of vaccination in advance of an outbreak, Defra said on Tuesday it had invited tenders to supply 10 million doses of avian influenza vaccine for potential use in poultry and other captive birds.

Animal Health Minister Ben Bradshaw said the vaccine would ‘only be used if a risk assessment and scientific evidence indicated it would help to prevent disease spread’.

He said early reporting, rapid action, biosecurity, culling and surveillance remained the most effective ways of controlling an outbreak.

However, vets said this week vaccination might be necessary if the disease became endemic among wild birds in the UK.

British Veterinary Association president Freda Scott-Park said: “There are exceptional circumstances such as when the disease is endemic and where preventative action would be the only way to protect flocks.”

Both vaccines currently available are injectables but Defra has so far not made clear who will be responsible for administering them. Mrs Scott-Park warned it would be ‘extremely expensive if vets had to administer the vaccine’.

“We should look at training up vet students or experienced poultry handlers,” she said.

Defra ordered 2.3 million doses of vaccine for zoo birds earlier this year from Intervet UK.

Intervet announced in January it had developed a vaccine that could be used by Defra to immunise chickens, ducks, and other avian species against the H5 strain of avian influenza.

The Soil Association welcomed Defra’s decision and claimed it was a significant change of emphasis from the Government in dealing with disease outbreaks.

Poultry adviser, Anna Bassett, said: “This latest positive announcement will be a great relief to our poultry farmers; hopefully confirming the Government is taking a more sophisticated and strategic approach to bird ‘flu than it did with foot-and-mouth.”