Bird flu vaccine ordered

More than 400,000 doses of a test human vaccine against the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu have been ordered, a Minister of State at the Health Department has confirmed.

Brian Lenihan confirmed Irish officials are working in conjunction with the UK authorities to acquire the vaccine against bird flu in humans.

The vaccine would be given to health workers and other essential staff if there is a pandemic in Ireland.

“Planning is taking place both within the HSE and at Government level,” Mr Lenihan said, as Health Minister Mary Harney joined other EU health ministers in Vienna to discuss prevention measures against the spread of avian flu.

“Of course there is no evidence of an outbreak in humans, there is no evidence of an outbreak among the poultry population in Ireland or among wild birds in Ireland either.

“But of course we are monitoring the position and we are collaborating with our European partners in devising appropriate responses and, in particular, we are working with the UK authorities on this acquisition of this flu vaccine.”

In the UK, health care companies have been asked to pitch for a contract to develop 120 million vaccine doses – enough for two jabs for everyone in the UK - once the exact strain of a pandemic virus is known.

A number of European countries have reported cases of the deadly H5N1 strain in wild birds.

France’s agriculture minister has confirmed the H5 bird flu virus has been found on a turkey farm in south eastern France but officials were not immediately clear whether it was the deadly strain of the virus.