Vietnam to Vaccinate Poultry Against Bird Flu Next Month

Text of report in English by Vietnamese news agency VNA web site

Hanoi, 7 August: The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development asked localities in the Red River delta and the Mekong delta to be prepared for a massive poultry vaccination against bird flu in September, one month earlier than planed, to avoid difficulties they may cope with in the upcoming rainy season.

According to the previously devised plan for vaccinating the country’s poultry against bird flu in 2005, the massive vaccination for the poultry stock in 24 provinces and cities in the Red river delta (in the north) and the Mekong delta (in the south) was set to begin in October after the completion of the experimental vaccination in northern Nam Dinh province and Mekong delta Tien Giang province.

Dr Bui Quang Anh, Head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development’s Veterinary Department, said the preparation for the expansion of the poultry vaccination was urgent as it will help prevent a recurrence of the bird flu epidemic.

The central veterinary medicine company No 2 has imported 2 million doses of avian flu vaccine to be used in the pilot vaccination programme in Nam Dinh and Tien Giang provinces.

It will buy another 100 million doses from the Netherlands and China for the expanded poultry vaccination.