Vietnam will import more than 133 million doses of vaccine to prevent and control avian influenza, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).

Since early 2021, the total number of poultry died and forcibly destroyed was nearly 8,000. Photo: Kinhtedothi.vn

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien said the ministry will keep coordinating and supporting businesses in the production and import of avian flu vaccines.

A MARD report showed that Vietnam still has 10 outbreaks of avian influenza, including nine caused by influenza virus A/H5N6 and one by influenza A/H5N1 (less than 21 days).

Besides the virus strains that have appeared in Vietnam, the MARD also identified the possibility that poultry could be infected with other viruses, including A/H7N9, A/H5N8 and A/H5N2and assessed as an existential risk.

Mr. Tien said that, in the face of unpredictable evolution of the disease on poultry flocks, to ensure food supply on Tet holiday 2021 and the following months, his ministry has requested departments to enhance the bird flu prevention work in the locality.

In 2020, businesses have produced and supplied 539 million doses of avian flu vaccine. Currently, they still store 95.2 million doses of vaccine in the warehouses.