The European Union has purchased 665,000 doses of this vaccine intended for “people most exposed” to potential transmission of avian flu to humans. France will receive 200,000, reveals France Inter.
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France will receive 200,000 doses of a vaccine preventing the transmission of avian flu to humans as part of an order placed by the European Union (EU), France Inter revealed on Thursday June 13. Deliveries will take place from the fourth quarter of this year, the General Directorate of Health said on the radio.
The EU has concluded a contract allowing it to purchase, on behalf of member states, up to 665,000 doses of this vaccine. The volume intended for France corresponds to a vaccination strategy targeted around possible outbreaks of avian flu. People working on farms, in contact with animals at risk, and veterinarians will be vaccinated as a priority.
Virologist Bruno Lina indicated Thursday morning on France Inter that the “bird risk” existed since “2003 or even 1997”. Since then, some 480 people have died. “It’s really an avian virus, there is no transmission between humans, but when it infects humans, it often goes very badly,” explains the scientist, who calls for everything to be done to prevent the virus from adapting to humans.
Two vaccine strategy options are being studied. Either the risk of transmission to humans is already considered significant, and the injections will begin as quickly as possible. Either we wait for a first human case and we vaccinate everyone around us to extinguish the epidemic outbreak. The Ministry of Health must clarify its strategy in the coming weeks.
