Plaid says Wales has no drugs to fight bird flu
Note: Plaid Cymru, sometimes referred to as Plaid, is a political party in Wales.
Plaid Cymru politicians have expressed concern about the readiness of the Labor Assembly Government should an outbreak of bird flu occur in Wales.
Plaid says it has revealed through a number of written questions that no drugs to combat any outbreak of avian flu are stored in Wales. The questions also show that the sufficient doses ring fenced for use in Wales to tackle any outbreak will not be available until this September.
The revelation follows this afternoon’s announcement that the virus that killed a mute swan in Fife was the H5N1 strain.
Plaid Shadow Health Minister Helen Mary Jones AM said: “While it would be unwise to overreact to the case in Scotland, we must ensure we are ready for any potential outbreak of bird flu.
“Last year a senior health expert voiced his concern that the NHS in Wales would find it difficult to react to any potential flu epidemic. We must inject a sense of urgency in the Labor Assembly Government and their plans. Forward planning is needed to ensure that the location of anti-viral drugs that are designated for the Welsh population but kept in a location in England are available to be distributed to any area of Wales within the 48 hour time-frame that is required for the anti-viral drugs to be effective.”