Canada should consider stockpiling avian flu vaccines, expert says

The first human case of avian flu in Canada — seen in a Vancouver teen who ended up spending nearly a month in the hospital — made international headlines in December, leading some to question whether the country is prepared for more potential cases.

Sally Otto, a professor of zoology at the University of British Columbia, says there are no signs that avian flu can be transmitted through the air to humans at this point but thinks it’s a good idea for the country to build up its reserve of H5N1 vaccines since the virus is spreading through poultry and livestock.

She says the U.S. has started stockpiling the vaccines because there have been massive avian flu outbreaks in dairy cattle in that country, but Canada appears to be taking a different approach, opting to make H5N1 vaccines domestically on short notice and procure them quickly if necessary.

“That is a bit of a risk if we don’t have them on hand,” Otto said. “Then if things get out of control, we’re not going to be able to move quickly, without a stockpile.”

The Public Health Agency of Canada says it has determined additional preparedness to deal with the avian flu is warranted, including exploring vaccine options.

“In the event that the avian influenza H5N1 strain circulating globally results in a pandemic, PHAC has a long-standing pandemic influenza preparedness strategy that is predicated on access to domestically produced vaccine,” it said in a statement to 1130 NewsRadio.

“This protects against the risk of vaccine embargoes, border closures, and transportation and shipment delays – as recently witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Canada’s pandemic influenza preparedness plan outlines the regulatory process for pandemic influenza vaccines.”

Otto says part of the reason the country hasn’t already started amassing vaccines is that health officials previously thought the H5N1 vaccine didn’t have a long shelf life.

“Why stockpile something that you know is going to be past its ‘best by’ date before you even use it?” she said.

However, she says more recent data published in scientific journals shows the vaccine has a longer shelf life than previously thought: somewhere between 10 and 20 years.

Otto also says the fact that the virus is mutating so quickly may be giving health officials pause, but she emphasizes some protection is better than no protection.

PHAC says it has agreements in place with several vaccine manufacturers, both domestic and international, should a new influenza pandemic occur.

“As part of federal preparedness for avian influenza, PHAC is working closely with Health Canada on potential avian influenza vaccines and has asked the National Advisory Committee on Immunization to consider avian influenza risk conditions, priority at-risk populations, and potential guidance needs,” it said.

The agency says it has been speaking to the U.S., the United Kingdom, and countries in the European Union about their plans to secure H5N1 vaccines.