Health Trusts Not Immunising Poultry Workers Despite DoH Guidance

11.38.47am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 13th Feb 2007

Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary and North Norfolk MP, Norman Lamb, has written to Patricia Hewitt about the failure of health trusts to take urgent action to prevent bird flu crossing over to become a human condition.

Norfolk PCT and Yarmouth and Waveney PCT, both covering areas with large poultry farms, have yet to start immunising poultry workers, despite directions by the Department of Health over three weeks ago to start the operation.

Cambridgeshire PCT has reported that no immunisations have taken place as yet, with the first ones scheduled for February 19th.

Commenting, Norman Lamb said:

"It seems extraordinary that some health trusts have not started their immunisation programmes given the Government's guidance over three weeks ago to start promptly - and that was before we had the outbreak in Suffolk.

"I have written to the Secretary of State calling for her to urgently respond to these worrying developments.

"Even though the risk may be remote, the potential consequences are so serious that this should be a top public health priority. We could be in danger of shutting the stable doors after the horse has bolted.

"If the virus did mutate into a strain that could affect humans, no one would be resistant to it and it would spread quickly.

"We have got to take this threat seriously. It must be in the interests of the poultry industry to get their workers immunised, as well as, of course, massively in the public interest."