UK: " Sees dangers in bird flu vaccines"

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   Britain sees dangers in bird flu vaccines

Wed Feb 22, 2006 (excerpt)

LONDON (Reuters) - Bird flu vaccines mask the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus 

and fail to offer a general solution to the spread of the disease, Britain's 

farm ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Crucially, though these vaccines protect against disease, they will not 

prevent birds from becoming infected and shedding virus," Deputy Chief 

Vet Fred Landeg said in a statement issued by the ministry.

"Because symptoms of disease would be masked, the hidden presence of 

disease would pose a serious problem," he added.

European Union health experts decided on Wednesday to allow France 

and the Netherlands, the EU's two largest poultry producers, to vaccinate 

millions of birds against avian influenza as a precautionary measure.

 http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=healthNe ws&storyID=2006-02-22T125636Z_01_L22193814_RTRUKOC_0_US-BIRD FLU-BRITAIN-VACCINES.xml

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	Britain sees dangers in bird flu vaccines Wed Feb 22, 2006 (excerpt) LONDON (Reuters) - Bird flu vaccines mask the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus and fail to offer a general solution to the spread of the disease, Britain's farm ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. "Crucially, though these vaccines protect against disease, they will not prevent birds from becoming infected and shedding virus," Deputy Chief Vet Fred Landeg said in a statement issued by the ministry. "Because symptoms of disease would be masked, the hidden presence of disease would pose a serious problem," he added. European Union health experts decided on Wednesday to allow France and the Netherlands, the EU's two largest poultry producers, to vaccinate millions of birds against avian influenza as a precautionary measure. http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=healthNe ws&storyID=2006-02-22T125636Z_01_L22193814_RTRUKOC_0_US-BIRD FLU-BRITAIN-VACCINES.xml