L'European Union runs for cover to prevent cases in bird flu may increase and lead to a scenario similar to what has already been experienced in recent years with the coronavirus. So Hera, the operational arm of the European Commission, has signed a huge deal agreement with the English pharmaceutical company Seqirus for the supply of avian flu vaccine. More specifically, it is about 665 thousand doses which are intended to protect humans from the virus.
Vaccine against avian flu, the EU signs the agreement
THE avian flu vaccinesas a note from the European Commission specifies, were not purchased for generic coverage, but “are intended for people more exposed to risk of transmission, primarily those who work on poultry farms and veterinarians”. It is again the European body that announces that the contract with the pharmaceutical company producing the vaccine “has a duration of 4 years and foresees the possibility that others will be provided 40 million doses“. The declared aim of the new vaccination campaign is therefore to “prevent the spread of potential outbreaks of avian influenza in Europe, protecting citizens and livelihoods”.
665 thousand doses of avian flu vaccine
“The Commission's Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (Hera), within the scope of its mandate – we read again in the Commission note – has signed on behalf of the participating Member States a joint framework contract for the supply of a maximum of 665,000 doses of vaccine pre-pandemic against zoonotic influenza (avian, ed.) Seqirus. Thanks to this contract, which will last four years, participating Member States will have access to medical countermeasures to prevent avian influenza.”
The countries participating in the vaccination campaign against avian flu
The operation implemented by Hera sees the participation of a total of fifteen countries of the European Union and the European Economic Area. These are Denmark, Latvia, France, Cyprus, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Portugal, Slovenia, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Iceland and Norway, while theItaly is currently excluded. According to the provisions of the contract, each participating State may order vaccines based on your needs and the local public health context, the first shipments concern the Finlandwith the country intending to protect its workers most exposed to risk from contagion.
The Seqirus avian flu vaccine and the data
The Vaccine produced by the pharmaceutical company Seqirus it's the only one preventative against avian flu zoonotic currently authorized in the European Union. In the same note that makes the agreement reached by the European Commission public, it is also underlined that the vaccination campaign against avian flu has a preventative, to avoid the onset of new and extensive outbreaks. Also remembered is risk to humans of the infection represents a rare event and so far no case of direct human-to-human contagion has been recorded. “The risk of transmission of zoonotic influenza to the general public in EU countries is considered low,” the note further specifies. The data confirms. According to the WHO, from 2003 to May 22, 2024, a total number of cases were recorded 891 cases of human infections with A-H5N1 viruses divided into 24 countries with 463 deaths.
