Finland will become the world’s first to roll out bird flu vaccines next week, as human cases of the virus spread around the world
Finland will become the first country to offer vaccinations against bird flu as it plans to roll out the shots to high-risk workers next week, amid growing concerns about the virus jumping from animals to humans.
Officials in the Scandinavian country say 10,000 doses will be administered to those who work closely with animals, such as workers in poultry and fur farms.
Patients will receive two doses of the shot at least a week apart, and the vaccines will be distributed as they arrive from stockpiles in central Europe.
The avian flu virus is currently not well adapted to infect humans, with the CDC saying the risk to humans is ‘low’, but experts fear this could change as it undergoes new mutations, with any additional infection outside of birds posing a risk of entails.
At least eleven people worldwide have tested positive for bird flu in four countries this year. Cambodia has the most cases, with five, followed by three in the US, which is currently experiencing a major outbreak of bird flu among cows.
No human infections have been recorded in Finland so far.
The above map shows detections of bird flu or H5N1 among mammals in the US from May 2022 to June 18, 2024
LEFT: Wild birds that tested positive for bird flu in 2023. RIGHT: Map showing areas where mink farms were found to have bird flu infections
But the country ordered the rollout after an outbreak of the virus last year at 27 fur farms in the country, including mink and fox farms.
Although no humans were infected with the virus, the cases led to 485,000 animals being culled to prevent the spread of the disease.
In its campaign, Finland will offer a vaccine aimed at the H5 protein on the virus, which officials say will likely work well against H5N1 infections.
The vaccines will be shipped by Australian company CSL Seqirus as part of a European Union campaign to secure 40 million doses in 15 countries.
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) said in a statement: “The vaccine will be offered to people aged 18 or over who are at increased risk of contracting bird flu due to their work or other circumstances.”
This includes those who work on fur farms and poultry farms, as well as laboratory technicians who process bird flu samples and veterinarians who work in areas with fur farms.
People who work in wild bird sanctuaries, on farms or who clean slaughterhouses and animal enclosures will also be offered the vaccine.
If a human infection is detected, the shot will also be administered to the person’s close contacts, officials added.
Health officials say the vaccine is expected to produce enough antibodies to protect against bird flu infection.
An earlier study of 3,400 people found that 90 percent of people under 60 and 80 percent of people over 60 had antibody levels that would “protect them against H5N1.” Studies have also shown that the vaccine is safe to use.
A total of 4.8 million doses of a bird flu vaccine will be delivered in the US by the end of the summer – although there are currently no plans to distribute them.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that 118 herds of dairy cows in twelve states have confirmed cases of H5N1. The three human cases involved people who had direct contact with infected livestock.
They experienced swelling of the eyes and respiratory symptoms.
Despite the spread, the CDC said the risk to humans is low.
The outbreak in cattle is unprecedented and has raised concerns that the virus could move a step closer to spreading to humans.
But H5N1 has been causing a major outbreak in the animal world for months, infecting everything from foxes to raccoons and even dolphins and seals.
Finnish officials said they want to bring the vaccine to market as quickly as possible to minimize the risk of bird flu spreading to humans.
They said the country is at increased risk because most fur farms are in the open, where the animals kept in them can come into contact with wild animals, increasing the risk of them contracting the virus and transmitting it to humans.
Minks pose a particular risk because the animals have similar receptors in their lungs as humans, meaning they can act as ‘mixing vessels’ for the spread of the virus to humans.