#18,147
Finland, whose fur industry has been hit particularly hard by H5N1 over the past year - with > 70 farms infected and > 500,000 animals (mink, fox, raccoon, etc.) culled - announced earlier this month that the financial drain has forced them to Curb Services & Lay Off Animal Disease Investigators.
A few days later, Finland's MOH announced they would offer the H5N1 vaccine to `high risk' individuals `as soon as possible.Today, Finland's Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) released details on their plan to vaccinate high risk individuals over the summer against H5N1, with express goal of preventing dual infection next fall with H5N1 and seasonal flu.
As we discussed in The `Other Mixing Vessel' For Pandemic Influenza, while a pandemic reassortment might emerge from birds, pigs, or some other mammalian host - the most obvious path would be through a dual seasonal influenza-novel flu infection in a human host.
Both the 1957 H2N2 pandemic and the 1968 H3N2 pandemic emerged after an avian virus reassorted with the then-current seasonal flu. While the exact circumstances are unknown, human co-infection is considered a distinct possibility.
Avian flu vaccinations begin - the vaccine is offered to those at increased risk of infection
Release date 25.6.2024
THL, in cooperation with the Food Agency, has drawn up a recommendation on target groups for bird flu vaccination. The vaccine is offered to those over 18 years of age who, due to their work or other circumstances, have an increased risk of contracting bird flu.
Such are:For those at risk of infection, 20,000 doses of bird flu vaccine have been procured in Finland through EU joint procurement. The amount is enough to vaccinate 10,000 people with two doses.
- persons in contact with fur animals in fur farms
- those working with poultry who are in contact with poultry, excluding slaughterhouse workers
- persons involved in the handling and disposal of sick or dead birds or other animals or in the cleaning of premises, such as those working in animal by-product processing facilities
- bird ringers
- those who work in aviaries caring for wild birds
- workers in petting zoos and aviaries
- official veterinarians
- laboratory workers who handle avian influenza virus or samples that may contain it
- close contacts of a suspected or confirmed bird flu case, should human cases occur.
Bird flu vaccinations aim to protect those at risk of contracting bird flu from serious disease caused by the virus.
In addition, the goal is to prevent a situation where the bird flu virus infects humans at the same time as the seasonal flu virus, which could enable the emergence of a new type of virus.
So far, there are no human bird flu infections in Finland
So far, no human infection with bird flu has been detected in Finland.
You can get infected from sick or dead animals or their secretions. However, the bird flu virus is weakly contagious to humans, and cases of infection are generally very rare.
The H5N1 subtype bird flu virus, which has also caused disease in wild and farmed animals in Finland in recent years, has also been linked to serious or fatal disease cases in humans.
Vaccinations will be started in welfare areas as soon as possible
The H5N8 bird flu vaccine, developed to combat the H5 subtype bird flu virus, received marketing authorization in the EU in April 2024.
The vaccination series includes two doses. The second dose is given no earlier than 3 weeks after the first dose. However, the vaccination interval can be clearly longer.
"The goal is to start vaccinations in the welfare areas as soon as possible, so that the two-dose vaccination series can be offered to the vaccinated before the start of the autumn flu season," says THL's expert doctor Anniina Virkku .
The welfare areas are responsible for organizing vaccinations and tell you where and when you can get the vaccination.
Fimea and THL are responsible for safety monitoring of vaccines.
The bird flu situation in Finland is calm
In 2023, there were large mass deaths of wild birds in Finland, which were caused by avian influenza virus infection. The virus also spread widely to fur farms, causing high morbidity and mortality in animals.
This year, bird flu has occurred in wild birds significantly less than last year. So far, the Food Agency has confirmed only one disease case.
The Food Agency monitors the occurrence of bird flu in wild birds in Finland and prevents the spread of the disease on animal farms.
Two weeks ago, the EU Commission secured access for Member States to 665,000 doses of zoonotic influenza vaccines to prevent avian flu, and announced the first shipment would go to Finland. The Seqirus vaccine is based on an older strain of the H5 virus, but is expected to provide some degree of protection against currently circulating strains.
But exactly how much real-world protection they will provide is unknown. Even in a good year, our seasonal flu vaccines are only 50%-60% protective.
While vaccines and antivirals will be important tools during our next pandemic, they will be in limited supply - will likely be only partially effective - and will only help blunt the impact.
Although the numbers remain small, we've seen some worrisome signs that H5N1 (and more recently, seasonal flu) may be picking up varying degrees of antiviral resistance.Antiviral Research: Antiviral susceptibility of clade 2.3.4.4b HPAI H5N1 Viruses Isolated From Birds & Mammals in the United States, 2022
Despite their limitations, I'd still rather go into a pandemic with these tools than without them. But avoiding a pandemic - if at all possible - remains a far preferable scenario.
