§ Keith VazTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to protect the population from avian influenza; and whether a vaccine will be made available. [154446]
§ Miss Melanie JohnsonAs soon as avian influenza disease was reported by the Thai and United States authorities, the United Kingdom banned imports of fresh meat of poultry, poultry meat products, raw material for animal feed production, eggs for human consumption, live captive birds such as falcons and finches, unprocessed feathers and untreated game trophies, untreated poultry manure, ratites farmed and wild feathered game from those countries.
Various organisations worldwide are looking at producing a vaccine against avian influenza H5N1 including the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control in the UK. This work is estimated to take about six months.