Downing Street Says

Asked if bird flu had been discussed at this morning’s Cabinet, the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman (PMOS) replied that bird flu had not been discussed. However, since the news from Turkey had broken, DEFRA had given a briefing about it.

Asked to confirm that it was not only animals that were affected by bird flu, the PMOS said that the experts were in DEFRA and in the Department of Health. The PMOS stressed that of course we took this with due seriousness, and a risk assessment would be done, but people had to be clear that the Turkish outbreak was not only relatively confined, but was also bird to bird, rather than bird to human. There had not been any human to human pattern of avian flu in any outbreak. Those were the parameters, but the PMOS said that we had made contingency plans in this country which would continue to be updated, and there were stockpiles of vaccines to deal with this particular strain that would be kept under review. What could not be done at this stage, however, was to prepare for a strain of human to human avian flu, because until the precise makeup of the virus was known, a vaccine was not able to be made. We stood ready to do so, should it be required.

Asked if COBRA was leading any planning in the event of a pandemic, the PMOS said that COBRA was not involved at this stage, but there were contingency plans that had been made.

Asked to clarify that the vaccination that is currently available was for birds only, and not for humans, the PMOS replied that it was for humans. In Turkey, the virus had not gone from birds to humans, whilst in Asia, where it had gone from birds to humans, it had been passed on to people working in poultry farms via bird faeces. We had the vaccinations to deal with that situation, and in Britain, we had a much stricter hygiene control on poultry farms which was precisely aimed at stopping disease.

Asked if there was any evidence of the virus moving from human to human once it had been contracted from the bird, the PMOS said not at this stage.

Asked if there was a vaccine should that happen, the PMOS said we had to guard against that possibility, but it would be a mutation of the original strain and therefore a different kind of virus. The new virus would need to be analysed before a drug to counteract it could be found, otherwise a drug would be developed that was not effective.

Asked why bird flu had not been discussed at Cabinet the PMOS said that at the time Cabinet met, the news from Turkey had not been released.

Asked that until it had actually spread from human to human, it was not possible to develop a vaccine, the PMOS said that was correct. This was because it was not possible to analyse a precise strain of the virus, therefore, a drug could not be developed to counteract that strain. The PMOS explained that it would be a mutation of any strain that went from bird to bird.

Asked how long a vaccine might take to be developed, the PMOS said between four to six months from past experience.

Asked if the Government would undertake that vaccinations were available for people, the PMOS said again that contingency plans were in place, but until there were the precise circumstances, it was difficult to confirm. However, there was a lot of work going into thinking about how we would respond to it.

2 Comments »

In responce to bird flu situation, the norm will apply, to much to late, big on words, short on action!, bells should be ringing NOW!, not after 2 million have died, \xA3\xA3\xA3\xA3 need i say anymore?.
Comment by P.M.Kinnie — 29 Oct 2005 on 1:26 am | Link
In responce to bird flu situation, the norm will apply, to much to late, big on words, short on action!, bells should be ringing NOW!, not after 2 million have died, \xA3\xA3\xA3\xA3 need i say anymore?.
Comment by P.M.Kinnie — 29 Oct 2005 on 1:26 am | Link

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» Thursday, October 13, 2005

Bird Flu

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