China vaccine spark controversy

China vaccine spark controversy

Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government's decision to allow the importation of avian
influenza (AI) vaccine from China has sparked controversy in the
poultry industry amid worries that the vaccine, reportedly still
uncertified by international health agencies, could give rise to
new diseases.

Askam, a senior researcher at PT Charoen Pokphand Indonesia, a
subsidiary of Thai poultry giant Charoen Pokphand, said vaccines
produced in the country would be better than imported ones, as
they were developed from samples of diseases found locally.

"I could not comment on vaccines from China, because we have
never tried them," he told The Jakarta Post.

His statement followed reports that Bio Farma, a state-owned
vaccine producer, had started importing vaccine to contain the
bird flu outbreak in the country. The government has confirmed
that bird flu, which has killed about 4.7 million chickens
nationwide, is of the H5N1 strain.

The H5N1 is the only strain of bird flu known to be fatal to
humans.

"The H5N1 strain mutates rapidly, particularly in cold
weather. During the rainy season, it could mutate more quickly
into another strain. Imported H5N1 vaccines might no longer be
effective (against any locally mutated strains) once they
arrive," he said.

Charoen Pokphand produces day-old chicken (DOC), poultry feed
and chicken meat in Indonesia, while it outsources breeding to
farmers across the country.

Chairman of the Indonesian Poultry Breeders Association Anton
J. Supit, however, hailed Bio Farma's move, saying importing
vaccine from China was an active measure to prevent the disease
from causing more damage to the poultry industry.

He said China-made vaccines were cheap and could be delivered
quickly to the country.

"Although it is not yet a member of the OIE (International Animal
Health Organization), China is known to be able to produce
effective and cheap vaccines," said Anton, who is an executive at
poultry company PT Sierad Produce, Tbk.

"Other ASEAN countries have also procured H5N1 vaccines from
China. So why should we make a fuss about it?" he said.

Anton said that following the outbreak of bird flu several
months ago, some local farmers bought Chinese-made vaccines and
had helped contain the disease in their areas.

Meanwhile, a veterinary researcher at the Bogor Institute of
Agriculture, Marten Malone, warned that since the Chinese-made
vaccines were not yet certified by international agencies, their
efficacy remained unproven. Worse, the vaccines could bring in
new diseases rather than help containing the current bird flu
outbreak.

Veterinary community health director at the Ministry of
Agriculture Bachtiar Moerad said the ministry had permitted Bio
Farma to import vaccines from a company in China, which was
believed to produce efficacious vaccines.

The ministry has sent a delegation to visit the firm's
production facilities.

"However, Bio Farma can also import from other suppliers, such
as those in Europe and the United States," he said.

Bio Farma is the only company authorized to import bird flu
vaccines. Pusat Veterinaria Farma in Surabaya, PT. Vaksindo Satwa
Nusantara in Bogor and PT Medion in Bandung have been appointed
to produce the vaccine domestically.

The government has allocated Rp 212 billion in vaccination and
compensation for small farmers whose poultry will be destroyed as
part of a mass-culling program.