Keep One Step Ahead Of Bird Flu - AMA
AMA President, Dr Bill Glasson, today calls on the Federal Government to act quickly following news that the World Health Organisation (WHO) is examining a possible human-to-human transmission of Avian Virus (bird flu) in Vietnam.
Dr Glasson said while there is no evidence yet of human-to-human transmission of the virulent virus, he urged the Government to implement the recommendations of the Australia Action Plan for Pandemic Influenza, developed in response to last year's SARS outbreak.
"As a nation we must be ready for a serious outbreak if and when it occurs," Dr Glasson said.
Specifically the AMA calls on the Federal Government to:
- ensure the Action Plan is published and widely available
- clarify the vaccination strategy (if there is no shortage will the government plan to vaccinate the whole population or only selected segments of the population? How will the vaccination program be implemented?)
- ensure all states and territories have action plans and action committees
- ensure that there is a coordinated national surveillance system (system is currently very fragmented)
- expand the present pneumococcal vaccination programme to all children, all high risk individuals and all people over the age of 65 (this will significantly reduce the mortality from secondary infection)
- ensure an adequate stock pile of anti-viral drugs is available in all states and territories so that we will be able to adequately treat people who become infected
- subsidise the development of the capacity within Australia to manufacture anti-viral drugs from scratch or at least from intermediate materials that can be stockpiled for longer periods than the drugs themselves.
"Avian influenza is not yet a pandemic, not even an epidemic, but there are serious and well founded concerns," Dr Glasson said.
"A number of people have been infected with the virus through contact with affected poultry or their droppings. But to date there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission. There is the risk that the avian flu virus could mix with the human influenza virus, creating a virulent new strain that could be spread from one person to another.
"All possible international surveillance and action to reduce the likelihood of the critical mutation is being taken. However, if not this time then sometime in the near future there will be an outbreak of a virulent strain that has the potential to kill," Dr Glasson said.
CONTACT: Judith Tokley (02) 6270 5471 / (0408) 824 306