Finland will start offering preemptive bird flu vaccinations to certain workers exposed to animals as early as next week, making it the first country to do so, health authorities announced.
Although Finland has not reported any human cases of the virus, the country is keen to begin vaccinations due to the transmission risks from its fur farms.
"In Finland, we have fur farms where animals can come into contact with wildlife," explained Chief Physician Hanna Nohynek of THL.
Last year, Finland faced significant bird flu outbreaks among mink and foxes at its mostly open-air fur farms, resulting in the culling of about 4,85,000 animals to prevent further spread.
Among the many strains of bird flu, H5N1 is a significant one, circulating among birds.
Finland will start offering preemptive bird flu vaccinations to certain workers exposed to animals as early as next week, making it the first country to do so, health authorities announced.
The country has secured vaccines for 10,000 people through a joint EU procurement effort, which included up to 40 million doses for 15 nations from CSL Seqirus, an Australian manufacturer.
CSL Seqirus confirmed to news agency Reuters that Finland would be the first to roll out the vaccine.
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Vaccinations will begin next week in some parts of Finland, according to a THL spokesperson. The vaccines will be administered to workers at fur and poultry farms, lab technicians handling bird flu samples, veterinarians working as animal control officers, and people working in sanctuaries for wild birds, livestock farms, and animal by-product processing plants.
If a human infection of avian influenza occurs, close contacts of the suspected or confirmed case will also be offered the vaccine, THL added.
"The vaccine will be available to those aged 18 and over who are at higher risk of contracting avian influenza due to their work or circumstances," stated the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).
The H5N1 strain of bird flu has led to the death or culling of hundreds of millions of poultry worldwide and has increasingly spread to mammals, including cows in the United States, and in some cases, to humans.
Although Finland has not reported any human cases of the virus, the country is keen to begin vaccinations due to the transmission risks from its fur farms.
"In Finland, we have fur farms where animals can come into contact with wildlife," explained Chief Physician Hanna Nohynek of THL.
Last year, Finland faced significant bird flu outbreaks among mink and foxes at its mostly open-air fur farms, resulting in the culling of about 4,85,000 animals to prevent further spread.
ALL ABOUT BIRD FLU
Bird flu or avian influenza, is widespread globally. Among the many strains of bird flu, H5N1 is a significant one, circulating among birds.
The viruses have caused outbreaks in poultry flocks and mammals. The disease causes influenza A virus. The symptoms in birds include diarrhoea, breathing difficulties, swollen heads and sudden death.
Birds transmit the virus to other beings through their saliva, mucus, and faeces, posing a risk to people and animals. Unprotected contact with infected birds increase the risk.
As per the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the symptoms can range from mild such as cough, headache, sore throat and fever, to severe conditions like pneumonia requiring hospitalisation in humans.
