Australia’s Federal Government considers national bird flu vaccination
Australia’s Federal Health Minister Tony Abbott told the ABC today that the Government will consider vaccinating everyone in Australia against bird flu if a candidate vaccine looks promising, and if there are no serious side effects.
Mr Abbot says the government is working closely with a research company to develop a pandemic vaccine. Trials of the drug will be finished by the end of the year.
Meanwhile, the Australian tourism industry is working to ensure operators are fully prepared for a potential bird flu pandemic.
Tourism representatives will attend a meeting with federal authorities next month to discuss contingency plans for a bird flu outbreak and its effect on the tourism industry.
The chief executive of the Queensland Tourism Industry Council, Daniel Gschwind, says there is still some way to go before operators reach the highest level of readiness.
“There’s only so much I guess you can really do to prepare yourself,” he said.
“But I think it’s certainly very important for us as a tourism industry, and we are indeed doing that, to talk to government agencies, both state and particularly federal, to understand what could happen and what needs to happen if there is indeed an incident and we have to make sure that we’re well informed.”
The Mole reports
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