The Health Service Executive (HSE) has estimated that Ireland requires 10,000 doses of a vaccine for people at risk of exposure to avian influenza (bird flu) due to their job.
In June, the EU’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) signed a contract for the supply of up to 665,000 doses of the zoonotic influenza vaccine, Seqirus.
15 EU member states, including Ireland, are participating in the voluntary procurement framework with the company Seqirus UK.
The European Commission has the option for a further 40 million doses, if required, over the duration of the contract.
Bird flu
The HSE told Agriland that it procures vaccines and implements vaccination programmes in line with Department of Health policy, which is based on the recommendations of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC).
The department has written to the NIAC asking it to review the safety and efficacy of the zoonotic influenza vaccine for adults.
It has also sought advice on the most effective and feasible strategy for its use in Ireland under current conditions of bird flu activity.
“We are awaiting recommendations regarding the use of the vaccine,” a HSE spokesperson said.
It is expected that NIAC will issue its advice on the vaccine in the coming weeks.
The National Health Protection Office (NHPO) of the HSE in conjunction with Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) continually monitors the national and global situation with respect to avian influenza (HPAI) in animals and humans.
The HPAI National Coordination Group (NCG) Group – a multidisciplinary subcommittee chaired by HSE and DAFM with representatives from a range of stakeholders from Northern Ireland – coordinates prevention and preparedness activities.
“Managing the threat of HPAI in Ireland involves several interlinked pieces including effective clinical and laboratory surveillance of human influenza and influenza like illness.
“Influenza (including avian influenza) is statutorily notifiable in Ireland, and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) collates influenza data and reports this weekly,” the HSE spokesperson said.
The HSE noted that there have been no human cases of bird flu in Ireland to date.
“In term of rapidly identifying human cases of HPAI at an early stage, especially outside seasonal flu periods, NHPO is undertaking awareness raising among clinicians.
“However, currently in Europe, the levels of HPAI among wild birds/poultry is extremely low, and the risk of spread to Europe of the strain of HPAI that resulted in the cattle outbreak in the US is considered to be very low,” the spokesperson added.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the World Health Organisation (WHO) has concluded that bird flu presents a low risk to the general population and a low-to-moderate risk to those occupationally exposed to infected birds and animals.
Despite this the HSE said that continued vigilance is necessary to identify any change to the current situation.