Even though The World Health Organization (WHO) says mass bird flu vaccinations is not necessary and experts disagree about whether bird vaccination is an effective way to prevent the spread of H5N1 the Icelandic directorate of health has bought 10.000 units of a bird flu vaccine. The vaccine fights the virus H5N1 and will be used if the bird flu is detected in Iceland and is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). The Vaccine will be used as ordered by the Directorate of health when needed, no exact usage plans have been issued.

The Directorate of Health is a government agency headed by the Medical Director of Health. Its five divisions are responsible for administration, public health and clinical quality, infectious disease control, health statistics, and finance.

The doctor who invented the flu vaccine agrees that a major flu outbreak is likely but says the flu jab is powerless to stop it.
Dr Graeme Laver, who helped to create the flu vaccine more than 40 years ago, said that although the flu jab could offer some protection, it should not be relied on.
“If the seasonal flu is as bad as it was in Australia, you are in for a pretty bad time,“ said Dr Laver. “You could have a really severe epidemic. Thousands will be ill and many will die”.

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Up to 30,000 turkeys on five farms have been culled as a precaution, after the virulent H5N1 strain of bird flu was found in turkeys on a Suffolk farm in the UK.
The bird flu infection was initially discovered on Sunday at Redgrave Park farm in the east of the country and it was later confirmed that the virus was the highly-contagious H5N1 strain.

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A new flu remedy based on research into the black elderberry is being heralded as one of the most effective cures against the flu virus.

Sambucol elderberry extract is being launched in Europe after a series of clinical trials into the health-giving properties of the elderberry. The black strain of the elderberry has been proven to be effective against eight different strains of the flu virus, both Type A and Type B, as well as having an unusually high concentration of antioxidants.

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