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Responding to media enquiries, Senior Veterinary Officer of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) Dr Trevor Ellis stressed today (January 27) that the H5N2 vaccine used in Hong Kong is aimed to broadly target H5-specific strains of virus.

"In challenge trials locally and overseas, the vaccine has proven protective against various strains of highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza viruses.

"In Hong Kong, the vaccine has shown to protect local farms from the avian influenza outbreaks in early 2003. The 2003 virus strain shows greater difference from the 1997 virus than is expected between the 2003 virus in Hong Kong and the viruses recently found in the region.

"Even though the current H5N1 virus found in the neighbouring Asian region is different from the 1997 and the 2003 viruses, the vaccine basically covers a range of very different H5 viruses isolated over 40 years from Asia, the United States, Mexico and Europe," Dr Ellis said.

The vaccination trial at Pak Sha in Hong Kong demonstrated that the killed H5N2 vaccine could achieve a level of flock immunity of over 80 per cent. This level of flock immunity is sufficient to protect the vaccinated farms against considerable H5N1 virus exposure from wild birds and infections in unvaccinated chicken farms and poultry markets in December 2002 and January 2003 before the mandatory vaccination programme.

"Nonetheless, vaccination is by no means the panacea for the avian influenza problem. It is therefore prudent that we should maintain our existing multiple-pronged approach, biosecurity measures at farms, market rest days and cleaning, to minimise the risk of recurrence of avian influenza outbreaks.

"We will remain vigilant in our surveillance and control over avian influenza for the protection of public health," he added.

Ends/Tuesday, January 27, 2004

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