New centre to develop vaccine for bird flu

Star: A regional avian influenza research centre will be set up at the Veterinary Research Institute (VRI) here to develop a local bird flu vaccine to deal with the deadly H5N1 virus.
Agriculture and Agro-Based Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the vaccine would be more effective in fighting the local strain of the virus.
He said RM13mil would be allocated for the centre, and that the vaccine could be developed in a few months.
He said it would cost RM77mil to purchase the vaccine overseas for all the birds in the country.
“If we produce our own vaccine, the cost can be cut by half.
“VRI is doing a good job in working round the clock to check on all the samples collected,” he told reporters after visiting the institute yesterday.
He said the allocation would be used for acquiring equipment and manpower needed for the vaccine's research and development.
The vaccine would be used on non-infected poultry in the event of an epidemic, he said, adding that there was no need for any vaccination now.
Muhyiddin said veterinarians have been working on samples to detect any presence of the bird flu and conducting checks at farms to prevent an outbreak.
He said border checks on smuggling of poultry and poultry products had been stepped up.
He said farmers were also being educated on the bird flu and the necessary precautionary measures they were to take.