Voluntary Report - public distribution

**Date:** 10/21/2004

**GAIN Report Number:** TH4117

TH0001

**Thailand**

**Poultry and Products**

**Thailand Halts the Idea to Introduce Avian Influenza Vaccination**

**2004**

**Approved by:**

![](media/image1.wmf)Russ Nicely, Acting Agricultural Counselor

U.S. Embassy, Bangkok

**Prepared by:**

Sakchai Preechajarn, Agricultural Specialist

**Report Highlights:**

After being a big debate over the last few months, the Thai government
officially put away the proposed idea to introduce avian influenza
vaccination in Thailand.

Includes PSD Changes: No

Includes Trade Matrix: No

Unscheduled Report

Bangkok \[TH1\]

\[TH\]

**Executive Summary**

After being a big debate over the last few months, the Thai government
officially put away the proposed idea to introduce avian influenza
vaccination in Thailand. Many believed that the government's decision
reflected its concern on the economic and political impact of
vaccination rather than human health and disease control aspects. The
government and export-oriented poultry processors fear that the
vaccination use would shut the door completely on Thai chicken exports,
especially from such major buying countries as the EU and Japan.
However, it is widely rumored that several poultry raisers, especially
layer farmers and fighting cock raisers, illegally used vaccines
smuggled from China and Hong Kong.

**Debate on Introducing AI Vaccination**

The reoccurrence of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), H5N1 type,
in July 2004 warns that the disease may become endemic to Thailand and
caused poultry farmers to fear that the government's current
stamping-out program may not be sufficient to eradicate the disease. As
a result, a group of layer farms and native chicken raisers (mostly
small scale farmers which lack of capital to improve their farm
biosecurity as recommended by the government) voiced their concern and
pressed the government to consider vaccination. However, a group of
exported-oriented broiler processors strongly opposed this idea.

The government placated the integrated by setting up a national-level
committee, the National Veterinary Council (NVC), in mid July to study
possible strategies against avian influenza and gave it two months to
decide on introducing bird-flu vaccination in critical areas. The
committee was to review: the disease situation; epidemiological factors
especially the transmission mechanism between flocks as well as humans;
poultry production systems; current control measures and the possibility
to apply more stringent control measures such as biosecurity in some
sectors; the possibility to control and monitor outcomes of vaccination;
and the possible impact of vaccination on Thailand.

On September 15, 2004, the NVC submitted a report to the Thai Deputy
Prime Minister, agreeing that: (1) AI vaccination for all kinds of
poultry would be prohibited; (2) The government will accelerate
improving farm biosecurity system in the country regarding disease
prevention into farms and out of farms, farm registration, improving
farms to meet required standards, movement control of animals, control
of poultry slaughterhouses, and pro-active surveillance measures; (3)
The government would study and research on AI virus and vaccines to
monitor possible viral mutation and to determine the proper measures in
the case that any serious outbreak occurs. However, this research would
be conducted in laboratory and by the government only; and (4) The
government would closely consult with relevant international
organization and trading-partner countries before it introduces
vaccination for ornamental birds and fighting cocks.

According to the Committee, this decision was based on the following
factors:

1\. Aspect of Public Health: Several studies support the hypothesis that
HPAI virus can mutate into a deadly human virus if it is transmitted
from poultry to human being. Meanwhile, based on the study of the use of
vaccine in Mexico, the avian influenza virus has ability to mutate,
despite being under the disease control by vaccination. The NVC is
concerned that vaccinated poultry could still possibly transmit AI
disease to poultry raisers (especially fighting cock farmers/raisers who
normally close contact with their birds) and put the public health at
risk if the disease mutates further.

2\. Aspect of Vaccine Quality: The results of vaccinations trials that
are reported as effective in many studies are mostly assessed under the
controlled laboratory conditions. The NVC is concerned that vaccination
in field conditions may not be as effective as that in laboratory
conditions. In addition, many studies show the AI vaccines are most
effective when at least 90% of the viral vaccine strains correspond to
disease virus strains.

3\. Aspect of Disease Control: The farming system in Thailand is much
diversified, from backyard to state-of-art farming and from
domestic-oriented to export-oriented. The use of vaccine, which must be
monitored closely, may not succeed based on the fact that backyard farms
lack the ability to improve their disease prevention and control
systems.

4\. Aspect of Economic Impact: The buying countries of Thai chicken
meat, especially the EU and Japan, will definitely ban imported chicken
meat from Thailand once the vaccination is introduced in Thailand.
Although these two countries have a process of inspection and
certification to allow imports, there is no guarantee on the timeframe
that Thai exports to these countries would be re-opened.

The economic impact is apparently the greatest concern of the government
when considering the reaction by the Thai Prime Minister in a Cabinet
meeting on October 12 to the request by the Ministry of Agriculture for
building an AI vaccine plant in Thailand. The Director General of
Department of Livestock Development (DLD) stated that the vaccine plant,
costing nearly USD 10 million and reportedly able to produce up to 100
million doses of AI vaccine, would be used for study and research
purpose only. However, several newspapers reported later that the Prime
Minister was frustrated to see this proposal and asked the Cabinet to
withdraw it and denounced that this action by the DLD would confuse the
public. Despite not mentioning explicitly, the "public" in this term
should represent "buying countries of Thai chicken".

###### Rumor of Smuggled Vaccine Use

Although AI vaccination is prohibited, it is widely rumored that several
poultry raisers, especially layer farmers and fighting cock raisers,
have illegally used smuggled vaccines from China and Hong Kong.

In response to questions by the public, mainly from buying countries of
Thai chicken meat, the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), an agency which
directly monitors the use of animal vaccines, has officially banned the
use of bird flu vaccine and started a crackdown on any violation. A
regulation was adopted to ban the import, production, sale and use of
all avian influenza vaccine in the country. Public Health Minister
Sudarat Keyuraphan said in mid-August that the government took the
action for the sake of public health, and anyone violating it would face
up to 5 years\' imprisonment. Meanwhile, the ministry also opened a hot
line and offered a cash reward for those reporting the violators. The
Ministry later raided some suspected poultry farms in Thailand. However,
trade sources indicated that the MOPH found difficult to arrest
violators, mainly because the MOPH lack information on the poultry farms
and proper methods of tracing back illegal use of vaccination in
animals.

End of Report