Europe is preparing for a possible bird flu pandemic and is purchasing more than 600 thousand vaccines

AdminJune 12, 2024

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Europe is preparing for a possible bird flu pandemic and is purchasing more than 600 thousand vaccines

bird flu This highly contagious viral diseasebecause it mainly affects birds domestic and wild waterfowl. He the virus lives in the environment over long periods of time and can be transmitted simply by touching surfaces containing the virus. Although avian influenza is not fatal to lethal wild birds and causes only mild illness, its strains can mutate in poultry and thus become dangerous strains with high incidence. that cause serious illness.

First country to accept protective measures in the face of this virus it was United Statess, through reservation strategic vaccine after three cases of bird flu were detected in livestock farm workers, in particular cows. As it continues to spread and if its presence in nature is not reduced, it may become pandemic that through a respiratory virus it becomes infectious, as happened with corona virus.

He first case bird flu in People was reported in Hong Kong in 1997 and was associated with chickens. From now on it happened cases avian influenza A in people all over the worldHence Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) belonging European Commission signed an agreement on behalf of the member statesContract for joint procurement of more than 600,000 avian influenza vaccines zoonotic, having the right to purchase a further 40 million doses during the contract period so that all participating Member States can have access to these vaccines to prevent cases of this virus.

Are 15 US member statesE who are participating in this voluntary acquisition, and the contract will allow each country that participates request vaccines depending on your situation and public health needs. The maximum term of the signed contract will be 4 years. Finland has already requested the first batch of vaccines to immediately vaccinate workers at risk of infection.

The primary recipients of these vaccines are those most susceptible to possible transmission of avian exposure through birds or animals: Poultry workers and veterinarians. This is currently the only prophylactic vaccine against zoonotic avian influenza authorized in the European Union, and a portion of these vaccines are reserved for the general population in case of a pandemic.