The UK buys 5 million bird flu vaccines

The United Kingdom has procured over five million doses of an avian influenza vaccine intended for human administration, as a precautionary measure if the virus demonstrates the capacity to infect humans and precipitate a pandemic. The government has asserted that this is part of a strategy to anticipate and respond to potential pandemic pathogens. However, there is presently no evidence that avian influenza, designated H5N1, is capable of transmission among humans. In response to the announcement, Massimo Palmarini, director of the Virus Research Centre at the University of Glasgow, stated that, given the recent impact of H5N1 on multiple mammalian species in various countries, it is imperative to anticipate and prepare for potential future developments. Ian Brown of the Pirbright Institute, for his part, highlighted the importance of a vaccine stock as a preparedness measure in the event of an expansion in the ability of H5N1 viruses to infect and transmit between humans, should they undergo a mutation. The vaccine will be produced by UK company Csl Seqirus UK Limited, said the UK government.