EASVO - State Veterinary Officers

There were excellent presentations from Prof Dr Thijs Kuiken from the Erasmus University Medical Center – providing an overview of the threat of bird flu viruses, and the rising cases in animals and humans in recent years. He noted that current surveillance, biosecurity and stamping out policies were not sufficient to stop outbreaks and suggested that the use of vaccination, both for poultry and for humans at risk should be considered.

DG SANTE officials provided reassurance that, through the new Animal Health Law framework, the increased use of vaccines for list A diseases is crucial and under consideration. However it was noted that the use of vaccines is often limited due to trade concerns as export bans have been enforced on countries with vaccination policies.

To read more and see the presentations you can follow this link.