China develops bird flu vaccines
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-10-28 16:38

China has developed a series of vaccines, including inactivated vaccine against H5N2 AI, in a bid to control the fatal bird flu, Jia Youling, chief veterinary officer said Friday at a press conference.

Jia Youling, chief veterinary officer, briefs the media about bird flu situation in China at the press conference in Beijing October 28, 2005. [Xinhua]

The application of these vaccines, which also include the recombined inactivated vaccine against H5N1, recombined flow pox vector live vaccine against H5, which are respectively for chicken, waterflow and broiler, has effectively reduced the cost of immunization and satisfied the need of various poultry, Jia noted.

He added that newly developed recombined Newcastle Disease vector live vaccine against AI is now under commercialization.

"This new vaccine is cheaper and easy to use," Jia said, noting that its application will greatly improve the result of immunization against AI.

The policy made by the Ministry of Agriculture to stamp out the poultry within three km around the affected spot has been well implemented nationwide, he said.

Moreover, the official said that the Ministry of Agriculture has made a timely report to the public upon any epidemic outbreaks based on the principle of "accuracy, openness and transparency."

Poultry receiving large scale vaccination

China is giving large scale vaccination on poultry, according to Jia.

"Not all poultry in China have been vaccinated, but in key areas, poultry have received vaccination. Poultry vaccinated have the capability to resist the infection of bird flu," said Jia.

Jia said that the state and local governments will jointly pay for the vaccination in key areas, but he admitted that so far, the state has not fully paid all this year's vaccination fees.

Covering up reports to be dealt with seriously

People who would delay, cover up or hold up reports of epidemics of bird flu would be dealt with according to law, Jia said.

"Any person, who would delay, cover up or hold up reports of epidemics would be prosecuted according to the Law on Animal Epidemic Prevention," Jia said.

"We have set up a stringent reporting and verification system," he said.

No report of human infection

There is no report yet of human infection of bird flu in China, said Jia.

"According to the Ministry of Health, there is no report of human infection," said Jia at the press conference.

Jia said that since autumn this year, three cases of bird flu have been reported in China, namely, in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Anhui and Hunan provinces.