Canada buys avian flu vaccine for high-risk individuals
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) has secured an initial supply of 500,000 doses of GSK’s human vaccine against avian influenza - Arepanrix™ H5N1 A/American wigeon clade 2.3.4.4b. This vaccine will be utilized as part of Canada’s contingency planning to safeguard individuals who may be at an increased risk of exposure to the virus through contact with infected animals. PHAC will distribute the vaccines to provinces and territories based on an equitable and risk-based approach, allocating 60% of the available doses to provincial and territorial governments and reserving 40% for a federal stockpile to ensure national preparedness.
Provinces and territories will determine the potential use and administration of their respective vaccination programs in alignment with local risk conditions, while PHAC will support program monitoring and evaluation to adjust national efforts as necessary.
