UK stockpiles 5million bird flu vaccines amid fears highly pathogenic H5N1 virus will spark the next pandemic
Amid concerns that the H5N1 virus may cause the next worldwide pandemic, the UK government is hoarding more than five million bird flu vaccines.
Experts are concerned about the highly harmful insect that has become more common in birds worldwide in recent years.
They worry that if the bug changes, it might infect people and start a pandemic.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has obtained H5 vaccines to be distributed in the event of a human epidemic in an effort to strengthen the nation’s defenses.
“Immediate access to vaccines saves lives,” stated Dr. Meera Chand, the agency’s emerging illness head.
“We need to be ready to fight against a variety of influenza viruses that could endanger human health.
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“Adding H5 vaccines to the interventions already available to us will help us to be ready for a wider range of threats.”
CSL Seqirus UK Limited, a healthcare company, will manufacture the vaccine in the United Kingdom.
The emergence of a novel influenza strain continues to be the leading cause of pandemic threats, according to Oxford University Professor Sir Andrew Pollard.
Therefore, building resilience against potentially dangerous flu strains, such as H5, is crucial for preparing for pandemics and outbreaks in the future.
We shouldn’t be complacent because H5 is just one of several flu virus families that pose such a threat.
However, because of the virus’s worldwide expansion among birds and other mammals, as well as its concerning spread among cattle in the US this year, H5 is the one that we are most worried about right now.
Map reveals global bird flu hotspots as UK stockpiles vaccines amid fears of a new pandemic
“We must take every precaution to be ready for H5.
The virus comes in various forms, and according to the UKHSA, H5 has been responsible for a “prolonged global outbreak” in recent years, mostly in birds.
Since 2003, H5N1 has killed at least 465 individuals and infected 903 others.
This year, the virus has also proliferated among US livestock, which has been progressively affecting humans.
61 human instances have been reported thus far, the majority of which were dairy workers who experienced moderate symptoms.
A adolescent in Canada, on the other hand, has been in severe condition for more than a month and is still in intensive care after recently catching the infection from an unidentified source.
Professor Christopher Dye of Oxford University previously told The Sun that this is what occurs right before significant pandemics.
The former head of strategy at the World Health Organization (WHO) noted that sometimes it fizzles out, but other times it erupts because viruses find surprising methods to live and spread.
Spotted in the UK
The Department of Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs verified H5 bird flu cases at a Yorkshire, England, poultry farm last month.
According to the department, a 3-kilometer protection zone would be established around the site, and all birds would be killed humanely.
In the UK, it hasn’t been found in humans yet, though.
Scientists are concerned about the current outbreak’s enormity, as the bug has spread to a number of other creatures, such as pigs, foxes, and seals.
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The virus may be more likely to evolve as a result of its quick dissemination, raising the possibility that it will pass from person to person.
The virus that infected the Canadian adolescent had changes that made it simpler for it to infect people, according to genetic study.
Bird flu: Could it be the next human pandemic?
By Health Reporter Isabel Shaw
Around the world, bird flu is rife in wildlife and is currently spreading to cows.
The virus has had numerous opportunities to mutate—a process by which a pathogen alters and may become more dangerous—as a result of this increase in transmission.
Scientists worry that one of these alterations will eventually improve its ability to spread across mammals and possibly humans.
According to some specialists, the virus may already be spreading among certain animal species.
There is currently no proof that H5N1 may spread from person to person.
However, the fatality rate is significant among the hundreds of human-animal contact infections that have occurred during the last 20 years.
The World Health Organization reports that between 2003 and 2024, H5N1 registered 889 cases and 463 deaths in 23 countries.
This results in a 52% case fatality rate.
Prominent experts have already cautioned that influenza is the pathogen most likely to start a new pandemic soon.
A flu pandemic is a frightening possibility.
Vaccines against many types, including H5N1, have already been created, but others are still in the works, according to scientists.
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