China to vaccinate 14 billion poultry against bird flu

VIETNAM slaughtered thousands of birds in its two largest cities yesterday while China vowed to vaccinate its entire stock of 14 billion poultry against bird flu, with the government promising to help pay for the process.

The deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu is endemic in parts of Asia and has killed more than 60 people.

The virus is hard for people to catch, but experts fear it could mutate into a form which can be passed from person to person.