The Public Well being Company of Canada mentioned Wednesday it is bought 500,000 doses of a human vaccine to guard in opposition to avian influenza for these most in danger from being uncovered to the virus by contaminated animals.
The company mentioned it secured the preliminary provide of GSK’s Arepanrix H5N1 A/America vaccine by leveraging an current settlement.
“Whereas the present danger to the general public stays low, people with higher-level publicity to contaminated animals are at elevated danger and may take acceptable precautions,” the company mentioned in a press release.
Canada reported its first domestically acquired human case of avian influenza A(H5N1) on Nov. 9, 2024, when a teen affected person in B.C. was positioned on life help. The teen needed important respiratory help, docs say, then started to enhance and was discharged from hospital on Jan. 7.
The B.C. Centre for Illness Management is evaluating the genetic options of the teenager’s avian flu pressure with that of a Louisiana affected person who died in January. The U.S. affected person, who was over the age of 65 and had underlying well being circumstances, shared one of many three genetic mutations recognized within the Canadian affected person’s pressure, which infectious illness specialists have mentioned might make it simpler for the virus to contaminate people.
Up to now, Canadian well being officers say there was no proof of sustained person-to-person unfold of the virus in any instances discovered on the earth.
WATCH | 2nd avian flu pressure present in U.S. dairy cows:
Canadian dairy farmers are ramping up surveillance after a second pressure of avian flu was present in cattle in the US, the place the virus has prompted a discount in milk manufacturing. No instances have been reported in Canadian cows to this point.
The company mentioned 60 per cent of obtainable vaccine doses will go to provinces and territories, whereas the relaxation will likely be stockpiled “for nationwide preparedness.”
The Nationwide Advisory Committee on Immunization, Canada’s advisory group on vaccines, has additionally launched preliminary steerage on utilizing the vaccine in a non-pandemic context.
Well being officers are watching the pandemic potential of H5N1, in addition to different influenza viruses, since when a virus beneficial properties the power to unfold simply between people, it might probably spark a worldwide pandemic.
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