Intervet to supply bird flu vaccine to DEFRA

 Pharmaceutical company Intervet is to supply DEFRA with 10m doses of avian flu vaccine, to be used as part of a control programme should either the H5 or H7 strains of the disease take hold in the UK.

DEFRA insists that its policy on vaccination remains unchanged and the vaccines would not be used in advance of an outbreak or as an immediate response.

“Early reporting, rapid action, biosecurity, culling and surveillance remain the most effective methods of protecting against avian flu,” said a spokesman.