The European Commission is preparing to offer vaccines to people deemed to be at a higher risk of exposure to avian influenza (bird flu).
The EU’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) has today (Tuesday, June 11) signed a contract for the supply of up to 665,000 doses of the zoonotic influenza vaccine, Seqirus.
The commission said that it will have the option for a further 40 million doses, if required, over the duration of the contract.
15 EU member states, including Ireland, are participating in the voluntary procurement with the company Seqirus UK Ltd.
The contract, which will run for up to four years, allows each participating country to take into account their public health context and order vaccines depending on national need.
Bird flu
The EU Commission said that the vaccine is intended for those most exposed to potential transfers of avian influenza from birds or animals, such as poultry farm workers and veterinarians.
It added that securing access to the vaccines aims to prevent the spread or potential outbreaks of bird flu in Europe, protecting citizens and livelihoods.
Seqirus is the only preventive zoonotic avian influenza vaccine currently authorised in the EU. It is used on adults and protects against flu caused by H5 strains of the influenza A virus.
Shipments are currently being prepared to Finland for immediate vaccinations of the workers at risk of exposure.
Stella Kyriakides, EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said that the threat of bird flu to the general population “remains low”.
However, she added that there is a need to protect people at higher risk, such as poultry and farm workers or certain veterinarians.
“Today, we announce an agreement on behalf of participating countries to secure access to over 40 million doses of avian influenza vaccine.
“We are ready to take further action should the situation evolve in the future.
“Our European Health Union serves to protect people’s lives and livelihoods, and being prepared for health threats is at the core of our work,” the commissioner said.
Mexico
Earlier this month, the World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed the death of a man in Mexico after he contracted the H5N2 strain of avian influenza.
It was the first laboratory-confirmed human infection with avian influenza subtype A(H5N2) reported globally.
The patient, who was a resident of the state of Mexico, was hospitalised in Mexico City on May 23 and died the same day.
The WHO said that no human-to-human transmission associated with this event has been reported.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has said that the risk of zoonotic influenza transmission to the general public in EU countries is considered low.
To date, there has been no confirmed human-to-human transmission of the H5N1 strain of the virus.
There have also been no reported active cases of bird flu infection in humans in the EU.