Are there any health threats for people working with vaccinated birds?
There is no health risk to people working or in close contact with healthy, vaccinated birds. The only risk lies in the possibility of an outbreak of H5N1 in a vaccinated flock going undetected. For this reason, strict surveillance and testing for the virus must be carried out on any birds vaccinated, and national authorities must inform poultry owners that the clinical signs of avian influenza may not be as obvious in a vaccinated flock, and therefore extra-vigilance and proper hygiene measures should be carried out. What implications does vaccination have for EU exports? Vaccinated poultry are subject to specific controls to ensure that they are not infected with the avian influenza virus, before their meat and products can be traded either within or from the EU. Fresh meat, meat products and table eggs from vaccinated poultry can be traded once accompanied by a veterinary certificate verifying that they have come from healthy, virus-free poultry. Vaccinated live poultry and birds, a
