US, Europe consider vaccinating workers exposed to bird flu

Experts say it may curb threat of pandemic; move follows rapid spread of new strain

The United States and Europe are taking steps to acquire or manufacture H5N1 bird flu vaccines that could be used to protect at-risk poultry and dairy workers, veterinarians and lab technicians, government officials said, moves influenza experts say could curb the threat of a pandemic.

US officials last week said they were moving bulk vaccine from CSL Seqirus that closely matches the current virus into finished shots that could provide 4.8 million doses of vaccine.

European health officials told Reuters they were in talks to acquire CSL's pre-pandemic vaccine.

Canadian health officials said they have met with GSK, maker of Canada's seasonal flu shots, to discuss acquiring and manufacturing a pre-pandemic bird flu vaccine once its seasonal flu production capacity is freed up.

Other countries, including Britain, are discussing how to proceed on pre-pandemic vaccines, scientists said.

The actions follow the explosive spread of a new strain of bird flu that emerged in late 2020 and has caused unprecedented numbers of deaths among wild birds and domestic poultry and has begun infecting many mammal species.

In March, US officials reported the first outbreak of the virus in dairy cattle, which has infected dozens of herds in nine states and two dairy workers.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has estimated that 20 per cent of the US milk supply shows signs of the virus, indicating a wider spread is likely.