"This is done by appointing the Health Ministry and experts to collectively respond to some advice or suggestions related to the bird flu vaccination from WOAH," he noted through a statement on Monday.
The speaker expects a decision or policy from the government in response to the support to conducting bird flu vaccination.
Moreover, he called on the government, through related institutions, to instruct stakeholders to continue to monitor the development and spread of bird flu in Indonesia.
"This is important, given that the H5N1 strain has been detected in a large number of mammals and has killed thousands of them, including sea lions, foxes, otters, and cats," he remarked.
Hence, he pushes to have the plan to administer the bird flu vaccine to poultry, as suggested by WOAH, to be supported by other countries.
He expects that other countries can join in the efforts to control the bird flu disease.
"This is also done as an effort to prevent the development of bird flu to become a new pandemic," he stated.
The speaker's statement was made as a response to WOAH's suggestions to the government in various countries to consider administering the bird flu vaccine to poultry.
Earlier, the UK Health Security Agency, on Tuesday, stated that it had detected cases of bird flu, the influenza A (H5) virus, in two people.
The virus had been detected in two poultry farm workers following the introduction of asymptomatic testing program for people, who had come in contact with infected poultry, the agency noted through a statement.
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Translator: Putu Indah S, Fadhli Ruhman
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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