The recent outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza virus has scared the whole word. Each and every country is trying their level best to control the spreading of this virus to poultry. Amidst this comes the announcement by China's Agriculture Ministry that they are planning to vaccinate each and every bird against bird flu.

The task is not as easy as it seems, if successful, this would be world largest vaccination effort with respect to the number of animals (poultry includes chicken, geese, ducks etc). The logistics are largely complicated. This effort would require efficient mechanisms for covering everything including the migrating birds which can have the risk of passing on the virus from China to any other country.

Though the disease does not spread through humans, there is the chance of a global endemic if the virus ever develops this critical capability. It is also possible that humans could be affected with H5N1 virus, a scientist warned. China reported about 50 outbreaks of bird flu last year and 11 more this year. The harm is incalculable. One of the girls who died during the last month, initially diagnosed with fever might be one of the initial cases where bird flu affected humans. 

In China, pigs and birds are home grown just like Americans keep dogs and these families let the birds and other domesticated animals roam around the house and the neighborhood. This can lead to an increase in the constant contact between animals and people. This constant contact is a major reason of H5N1 bird flu getting transmitted to people.

An U.S official pointed out that the bird flu is likely to affect the poultry there as well as the migratory birds that are spreading it. Since it would be difficult for them to inoculate all poultry nationwide, they are implementing necessary steps on providing isolated specific areas in case there is a severe occurrence of this virus.

Study suggests that the poultry infections due to the fake flu vaccine could have actually spread the disease instead of preventing it. Though China has developed indigenous versions of Tamiflu, anti-viral drug, they are not sure of its effectiveness against the recent epidemic. It has become impossible to say the form that the virus may assume when it capacitates itself for human-human transmission.

Experts are still apprehensive about the announcement regarding the decision to vaccinate all poultry. Nobody is sure if such an exhaustive program is either possible or advisable.