Finland Takes the Lead in Vaccinating Farm Owners Amid H5N1 Bird Flu Outbreak

Finland has taken the lead in launching a vaccination program for farm owners and farmers who work closely with livestock and poultry, becoming the first country to do so. The program began on July 2 as a response to the outbreak of H5N1 bird flu in many countries. Finland has procured enough vaccines to immunize 10,000 individuals, with each person receiving two doses. This initiative is part of a joint procurement plan among 15 EU countries aimed at distributing 40 million doses of vaccine across the population.

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) has identified eligible individuals for vaccination as those aged 18 and above who are at high risk of contracting avian influenza due to their occupation or other factors. This group includes workers on fur farms, livestock and poultry farms, laboratory technicians handling influenza virus samples, veterinarians involved in animal control, conservation area workers, wild bird caretakers, and animal by-product processing plant workers. Close contacts and suspected cases will also be vaccinated in the event of human cases being detected.

Although Finland has not reported any human cases of bird flu, it is proactively introducing vaccination to minimize the risk of transmission from fur farms. An outbreak of bird flu in mink and outdoor fur farms last year led to the culling of approximately 485,000 animals in Finland to prevent the spread of the virus to humans. Avian influenza comprises various strains of influenza A viruses that primarily impact birds but can also infect non-avian species, including humans. Of these strains, H5N1 is prevalent among wild birds worldwide, posing a risk to humans and other animals through transmission via saliva, mucus, and feces.

In March, the United States experienced a rapid spread of H5N1 among dairy herds