The announcement of a new "Fujian-like" strain of H5N1 is echoing around the world. The echoes are loud in Hong Kong, where avian flu originated. A story in The Standard has a good account of the announcement, including a comment with discouraging implications:
"Although there are no signs of outbreaks, the research indicates that current vaccinations for poultry are ineffective and inadequate," [Dr. Gavin Smith] said, noting that the single vaccine currently used in the mainland is also not enough to tackle the issue."The methods of poultry vaccination must be addressed," he added.
I take that to mean that China's enormous efforts to vaccinate its billions of poultry have been largely wasted, and the same may be true for other countries' vaccination programs.
For yet another take on the PNAS article, here's Bryan Walsh on the Time Magazine Health Blog.
