News - China's Bird Vaccines May Help Stem Avian Flu, UN Official Says

China's plan to immunize its entire poultry flock to control an avian influenza epidemic may succeed, helped by the country's ``cutting-edge'' vaccine technology and large labor force, a United Nations official said.

``No doubt it's an ambitious plan,'' said Juan Lubroth, head of infectious diseases with the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization's animal health service in Rome. ``The logistics of it are gargantuan, however, I do think that if one country is able to do it, it's going to be China.''

The country, which raises 14.2 billion birds a year, or a fifth of the world's poultry, began its vaccination campaign last month and has immunized 3.1 billion fowl already, the government said this week.

Bloomberg.com: Asia