As long as the immunization policy is carried out properly, the
possibilities for an outbreak of bird flu in many areas will be
remarkably reduced, said Jia Youling, national chief veterinary
officer, on Saturday.
At a press conference held by the Ministry of Agriculture, Jia
said the country has provided 2.967 billion vaccines to local
departments to stem the spread of bird flu.
Most of the areas will be well prepared by the time migratory
birds fly north in mid-April, Jia said.
At the same time, relevant departments are ready to make new
vaccines to cope with any variants of the virus, he said, adding
the vaccine that has been developed can prevent the current
virus.
"The most crucial measure is that all fowls must be injected
with the vaccine," he said.
Since China took such measures from October 2005, the spread of
bird flu has been contained. Three outbreaks have been confirmed so
far this year, 46 less than during the same period in 2004. The 35
cases reported in 2005 have all been controlled.
As the virus can easily spread during spring, the ministry has
urged local departments to ensure the above measures are
implemented, Jia said.
The ministry has sent 28 supervisory groups to different regions
of the country to inspect their work, and the preparation is
satisfactory, he said.
(Xinhua News Agency March 19, 2006)