Finland to offer bird flu vaccine to select groups of people, a possible global first

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Finland is preparing to offer vaccines to individuals at risk of exposure to an avian influenza strain that has been spreading among farmed and wild animals. This move could potentially make Finland the first country to take such a step as concerns about the virus’s threat to humans intensify. The vaccine campaign will initially target specific groups, including poultry farmers, veterinarians, scientists studying the virus, and those working on fur farms where outbreaks have occurred. Finland awaits the arrival of 20,000 doses and plans to administer them as soon as they are available. While the H5N1 virus is currently not highly adept at infecting humans, scientists remain vigilant, recognizing the possibility of it evolving into a greater threat as it interacts with more mammalian species and human cells.