Currently, bird flu hit 16 provinces and cities, including Nghe An, Nam Dinh, Son La, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Bac Giang, Dong Thap, Can Tho, Ninh Binh, Bac Ninh, Vinh Phuc, Ha Nam, Quang Nam, Hung Yen, Thai Binh and Phu Tho. To cope with spread of bird flu outbreaks, provinces and cities nationwide are actively carrying out the first phase of this year’s vaccination campaign for 139 million fowls. The veterinary sector and relevant agencies are actively implementing bird flu preventative measures.

The Mekong Delta province of Dong Thap has banned raising poultry in Sa Dec town. It has also strengthened preventative measures against flu type A H5N1 in human beings.

However, bird flu prevention activities in some localities have been neglected. The market management agency in Ho Chi Minh City detected hundreds of unquarantined eggs and chickens in the markets.

On June 13, the market management agency in Phu Yen province seized a car carrying 20,000 eggs of unknown origins.

*** The UN’s World Health Organisation has agreed to provide Vietnam US$2.5 million to acquire the technology for producing human vaccines against the H5N1 strain of bird flu virus.

Another UN agency, the Food and Agriculture Organisation, has also provided funding for installing a cold storage facility to preserve poultry vaccines in the central province of Quang Ngai.

Meanwhile, the health ministry is providing drugs, respirators, and other medical equipment to help hospitals treat bird flu patients.