Finland has announced plans to vaccinate 10,000 people against bird flu starting in July as a precautionary measure due to fears of outbreaks on farms. The country is taking proactive steps to prevent the spread of the virus, particularly in fur harvesting farms.
Those who will be eligible for vaccination include workers at fur and poultry farms, laboratory technicians handling avian flu samples, veterinarians, and individuals aged 18 and older. The decision to implement this vaccination program comes in response to the global spread of the H5N1 virus strain, which has been increasingly prevalent since 2020.
In efforts to contain the spread of H5N1, Finland plans to cull around 486,000 animals in 2023. Health experts are concerned about the potential mutation of the virus and its possible spread to other countries, highlighting the importance of preventive measures such as vaccination.
Finland is the first country in the world to deploy bird flu vaccination for people, with a total of 15 countries in Europe planning to administer 40 million doses. The vaccines are being supplied by US company CSL Seqirus, one of the leading producers of influenza vaccines globally. The H5N1 vaccine is prepared using inactivated technology and is recommended for individuals aged 6 months and older.
Avian influenza, or H5N1, is a virus that can cause severe illness and even death in humans. Symptoms include fever, cough, fatigue, body aches