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DEFRA orders 2.3 million doses
of Avian flu vaccine from Intervet,
primarily for zoos
James Irvine
Teviot Scientific, Edinburgh & Perthshire
Filed 01 Mar 06
©www.land-care.org.uk
A DEFRA spokesperson confirmed to Land-Care yesterday
that DEFRA has now placed an order with vaccine maker Intervet for
2.3 million doses of its avian flu vaccine known as Nobilis.
The vaccine is scheduled to be available in 2
months time. DEFRA states that its use is primarily intended for
zoos.
Nobilis is the same vaccine that the French are
currently using to vaccinate some 700,000 poultry, having clearly
previously ordered supplies of the vaccine so that sufficient doses
would be available to start a vaccination programme when deemed
necessary.
Intervet has obtained a provisional Marketing
Authorisation for the use of this vaccine in France and in the UK.
But only the French and the Dutch have applied
to the EC for permission to use avian flu vaccination. Permission
was granted to these countries within a matter of days from asking.
So far the UK has not sought such permission, but rather argued
against the use of vaccination at the recent meetings of EU vets
who advise the EC. It would appear that the UK had no stocks of
appropriate avain flu vaccine.
Intervet's Nobilis vaccine is not a new vaccine.
It is primarily directed against the strain H5N2, but gives some
protection against the highly lethal strain H5N1. Along with a co-ordinated
policy of biosecurity and focussed stamping out, Nobilis vaccine
was used successfully in the control of an outbreak of H5N1 avian
flu in Hong Kong (1).
DEFRA would seem to be sending out confusing messages
about the uses of vaccination against the global spread of avian
flu, which is almost certain to reach the UK - and probably sooner
than later. It has now reached 6 EU member states.
Statements by the UK government's chief scientist,
Professor Sir David King - and appearing on the DEFRA website -
concentrate on why the UK has turned its face against vaccination.
The reasons given are that the currently available vaccines only
mask the disease in poultry and do not prevent the shedding of live
virus from birds that have been inoculated and which can still be
infected. However, field studies done in Hong Kong during the 2001/2
outbreak refute the statements made by DEFRA (2).
No one is suggesting that vaccination by itself is sufficient, but
vaccination - albeit with a vaccine that is perhaps less than ideal
- has been shown to be effective in controlling an outbreak when
used in conjunction with focussed culling and biosecurity.
It seems self-contradictory that DEFRA has now,
belatedly, ordered 2.3 million doses of Nobilis vaccine from Intervet
- not for the nation's poultry industry, but with use restricted
to its beloved conservation policy. But because DEFRA were clearly
slow off the mark - in spite of years of advanced warning - they
have to wait in Intervet's production queue. Two months is a long
time, especially as it takes three weeks for the vaccine to have
its optimum effect after inoculation. In the meantime a lot can
happen to zoos and to the nation's poultry, and whatever else.
The current situation also highlights problems
relating to the vaccine production industry, and their ability to
cope or otherwise with global demands.
At this rate, Professor Sir David King's doom-laden
prediction that avian flu H5N1 may become endemic in the UK and
could take five years to clear may well be correct. But it could
be largely of his own making.
It is just such a pity
that he and his colleagues at DEFRA could not have learned from
the disastrous experiences of FMD UK2001. After all, there were
numerous formal inquiries that reported subsequently. They clearly
spelt out what lessons were to be learned and which not to be ignored.
©www.land-care.org.uk
References
1. Irvine, James (2006). So what
is the score with avian flu vaccines?
See ANIMAL HEALTH - GENERAL Homepage, filed 26 Feb 06,
www.land-care.org.uk Click
Here to View
2. Ellis et al (2004). Vaccination
of chickens against H5N1 avian influenza in the face of an outbreak
interrupts virus transmission.
Avian Pathology Vol 33: pp 405-412. (Click
Here to View pdf)
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