The professional association of veterinarians (KNMvD) and the Collective Practicing Veterinians (CPD) support rapid vaccination against avian flu. Organizations are calling for effective vaccines to be registered quickly. There must also be clear agreements on commercial guarantees for poultry products.
According to the KNMvD and the CPD, vaccination will need to be part of a package of measures to protect poultry and fight bird flu. According to both professional associations, all knowledge available in the Netherlands and other European countries must be used in order to start vaccinating as quickly and responsibly as possible.
The European Union is currently working on amended legislation to allow vaccination against avian flu. Being able to distinguish vaccinated animals from infected animals is essential to prevent trade barriers.
The pressure of the virus remains high
Outbreaks have been reported in professional poultry farms and hobby poultry farmers in the Netherlands and other countries, including France, Italy, Germany and the UK. To keep the virus out of professional poultry farming, a visit ban and a stricter hygiene protocol have been in place for some time. Despite these measures, there are still many outbreaks.
The avian flu virus is constantly present in wild birds, which means that birds susceptible to avian flu also die in the wild. In the Netherlands, the virus remained present in the wild bird population during the summer months, and bird migration is now in full swing. Both organizations predict that the pressure from the avian flu virus will remain high in the coming months.
In the current situation with high infection pressure and insufficient results of stricter biosecurity measures, the current approach is no longer sustainable, according to the KNMvD and the CPD.
