As PoultryWorld reports, hundreds of thousands of doses of zoonotic flu vaccines to prevent bird flu have been taken over by the European Commission as part of its preparedness mandate.

Option for another 40 million

The Commission's Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority, on behalf of 15 participating Member States, has signed a contract for the supply of up to 665,000 pre-pandemic doses of Seqirus vaccine.

He also signed an option for an additional 40 million doses over the course of the 4-year contract. The first vaccines are to be sent to Finland for workers at risk of exposure. Shipments to other participating nations will follow.

Potential transfers of avian influenza

The vaccine is intended for those most exposed to potential avian flu transfers from birds or animals, such as poultry farm workers and veterinarians. The US, Canada and the UK are also in the process of providing preventive vaccines.

Although transmission is rare, it does occur with at least 3 dairy farmers infected in the US in recent weeks and 2 poultry workers infected in the UK last year.

Avian influenza vaccines

The US stocks flu vaccines from GSK, Sanofi and CSL Seqirus. In addition, UK drugmaker GSK is working with German biotech firm CureVac on an mRNA-based vaccine, although it is in the early stages of study.

The vaccine aims to prevent the spread or potential outbreaks of bird flu in Europe, protecting citizens and livelihoods. The vaccine is the only preventive vaccine against zoonotic avian influenza currently authorized in the EU.

Seqirus UK Ltd has an amended EU marketing authorization for the vaccine for adult use, which protects against influenza caused by H5 strains of the influenza A virus.

Provisional measures

Commenting on the announcement, Stella Kyriakides, EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said it was essential that the Commission be prepared:

"While the threat of bird flu to the general population remains low, we need to protect people at higher risk, such as poultry and farm workers or certain veterinarians.

"We are ready to take additional measures if the situation evolves in the future. Our European Health Union serves to protect people's lives and livelihoods, and preparing for health threats is at the heart of our work."

Lorna Meldrum, CSL Seqirus Vice President of Commercial Operations, International Response and Pandemic, said: "Access to vaccine, alongside surveillance and testing, is critical to pandemic preparedness and provides reassurance to governments and their populations alike." (Photo: Dreamstime)