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Task force urges calm over bird flu as CDC maps out inoculation campaign

"We plan to promote correct scientific information about bird flu to educate not only the public but also governmental agencies at all levels."

Yeh Ying, deputy director-general of the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine

A Cabinet-level task force established to prevent and control bird flu took steps to integrate the efforts of various agencies and focus on the promotion of scientific information to calm the public, the Council of Agriculture (COA) said yesterday.

"Given the simultaneous presence of avian and human flu in Taiwan, the task force will look at different scenarios and set up standard operating procedures based on each situation," Yeh Ying (葉瑩), deputy director-general of the council's Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, said after a meeting conducted by the task force.

Yeh said it is understandable that health officials are worried about the virus mutating, but warned against overreacting.

"We plan to promote correct scientific information about bird flu to educate not only the public but also governmental agencies at all levels," Yeh said.

The task force will hold another meeting next Wednesday to discuss bird flu.

farmers stand up

Meanwhile, hundreds of chicken farmers in Yunlin County yesterday planned to protest against the COA in Taipei. They urged the council to ask the military and schools to keep purchasing chicken, saying many public schools have suspending serving chicken.

In addition, the bureau yesterday showed the media a set of protective equipment for epidemic prevention workers.

According to officials, every worker slaughtering chickens on farms hit by the H5N1 virus will have to wear a mask, gloves and a protective suit. About 1,000 sets of the equipment have been distributed to epidemic prevention control centers across the country.

Local media yesterday falsely linked case of flu caught by a bureau staff member with his supervision work on farms affected by the more benign H5N2 variant of avian influenza in Chiayi County at the end of last month.

At a press conference yesterday, the bureau member, surnamed Lin, checked his body temperature and sang a song to demonstrate that he had made a quick recovery.

inoculations

Meanwhile, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday it plans to begin an influenza vaccination program in September for children from six months to two years of age.

"We're still waiting for the Executive Yuan and other governmental agencies to complete the legal process, but the basic direction of the initiative would bring young children into the vaccination program," said Yan Jer-jea (顏哲傑), director of the Division of Immunization at the CDC.

Under the current vaccination program, citizens over the age of 65 are offered free influenza vaccinations.

Yan said, the policy was not solely a response to the recent bird flu outbreaks in nearby countries.

The CDC is also working on getting more anti-viral medication, but said the amount to be purchased was still under negotiation.

"Right now we have enough medication for around 130,000 people," Yan said.

"How much we buy will depend on how much pharmaceutical companies can provide and how fast they can do it. Also, we have to decide on an appropriate amount to purchase. If you buy too much, it would only expire and go to waste," Yan said.

CDC Director Su Ih-jen (蘇益仁) said on Tuesday after a meeting to discuss avian flu prevention measures that the CDC has worked out an agreement with pharmaceutical companies to make an emergency purchase should the H5N1 virus -- the deadly form of the flu -- mutate.

labeling

The Consumers' Foundation said yesterday that a survey of 54 markets and grocery stores in Taipei, Tainan, Kaohsiung and Taichung indicated that none had clearly labeled the source of their poultry.

The foundation called on consumers to purchase poultry with Chinese Agricultural Standards certification.
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