US embassy cable - 05HANOI2471

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HANOI 002471 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR G; CA/OCS/ACS/EAP; EAP/EX; EAP/BCLTV; EAP/EP; INR; 
OES/STC (MGOLDBERG); OES/IHA (DSINGER AND NCOMELLA) 
BANGKOK FOR RMO, CDC, USAID/RDM/A (MFRIEDMAN) 
USDA FOR FAS/PASS TO APHIS 
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISA/AP (LSTERN) 
USAID FOR ANE AND GH (DCAROLL, SCLEMENTS AND PCHAPLIN) 
STATE PASS USTR (ELENA BRYAN) 
STATE ALSO PASS HHS/OGHA (EELVANDER) 
ROME FOR FAO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AMED, AMGT, CASC, EAGR, PINR, SOCI, PGOV, TBIO, VM, AFLU 
SUBJECT: VIETNAM: AVIAN INFLUENZA WEEKLY REPORT FOR 
SEPTEMBER 22, 2005 
 
REF: Hanoi 2289 and previous 
 
1.  (U) Summary.  There have been no new human cases of 
Avian Influenza (AI) since Mission Vietnam's last reporting 
on September 15.  The World Health Organization (WHO) 
confirmed that the August 28 death reported in the media was 
caused by H5N1 AI.  Mission Vietnam continues to work with 
the international community on AI preparedness and presented 
its tripwires during a British Embassy AI Contingency 
Conference on September 20.  The poultry vaccination program 
is now moving forward in 19 provinces in addition to the 
original two pilot provinces.   Vietnamese officials project 
the entire poultry population will be vaccinated by the end 
of November.  End Summary. 
 
No New AI Cases 
--------------- 
 
2. (U) There have been no new human cases of AI since 
Mission Vietnam's last report.  WHO's Dr. Hans Troedsson 
confirmed September 21 that final test results showed that a 
victim near Hanoi had died August 28 from H5N1 AI.  WHO also 
reported that it will soon establish a new AI website 
specifically to report on Vietnam's AI situation. 
 
Poultry Vaccination Program 
--------------------------- 
 
3. (U) The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's 
Department of Animal Health (DAH) reports that the 
vaccination program is now moving forward in 19 provinces in 
addition to the original two pilot provinces.  The majority 
of these are in the Mekong River Delta where authorities 
want to complete the program by the end of September before 
the onset of seasonal flooding.  The DAH wants to complete 
all vaccinations in high-risk areas by the end of October. 
The DAH admits reports that Chinese vaccines are slow to 
arrive, but says this will only delay the program's 
completion by about two weeks.  They now project the entire 
poultry population will be vaccinated by the end of 
November. 
 
4. (SBU) Sources outside the DAH but familiar with the 
program express concern that some provinces are not well 
prepared for the vaccination program and are having 
problems.  Such claims are difficult to assess because no 
independent monitoring has been established.  Independent 
veterinarians worry that the DAH's own system, which counts 
the number of vaccinated birds based on claims for 
compensation from vaccination workers, cannot accurately 
indicate whether the target percentage of birds has been 
vaccinated.  Other questions related to use of proper 
techniques by the workers, establishing sentinel birds, 
etc., apparently are not being systematically monitored at 
all. 
 
Workshop on Embassy Preparedness Plan Meeting 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
5. (SBU) The WHO, United Nations Development Program (UNDP), 
British, French and U.S. embassies presented their AI 
preparedness plans to an invited audience drawn from the 
diplomatic and NGO community at a British Embassy sponsored 
meeting September 20.  The UNDP offered technical assistance 
to smaller embassies or organizations wishing to develop 
their own plans.  Participants had the opportunity to 
compare contingency plans about what to do if WHO declares a 
Phase 4 (Small cluster(s) with limited human-to-human 
transmission but spread is highly localized) pandemic alert. 
Some presenters raised a concern about the possibility that 
one embassy might evacuate its citizens before others, 
thereby creating a rush by other embassies and international 
organizations to evacuate their own citizens from Vietnam. 
There was also discussion about evacuation points and 
alternate work sites during an AI pandemic. 
 
6. (SBU)  The WHO and UNDP presenters said that the 
international community would have only a short window of 
opportunity to evacuate its citizens should a pandemic 
occur.  The WHO, however, indicated that travelers may be 
infected, but not symptomatic and thus spread the disease 
further.  The WHO recommended that potential evacuees be 
screened before departure and recommended that no one with 
any symptoms be allowed to travel.  The WHO will give 100 
percent reimbursement to its staff for personal influenza 
vaccinations and recommended that all individuals over 65 
years old get the pneumococcal vaccine.  It also recommended 
that each organization obtain enough Tamiflu for 30 percent 
of its staff and dependents.  The French said that they have 
5500 doses of Tamiflu for their citizens. 
 
7. (U) Post also used this meeting to encourage foreign 
government officials in the audience to consider joining the 
International Partnership on Avian and Pandemic Influenza 
(IPAPI). 
 
Other AI Related Issues 
----------------------- 
 
8. (U) Embassy Hanoi's Medical Unit conducted an AI pot luck 
dinner presentation to over 30 Embassy staff and family 
members on September 21.  Post is offering 2005-06 flu 
vaccine to all employee and eligible family members. 
Consulate General Ho Chi Minh City is in the process of 
acquiring 2005-2006 vaccine. 
 
9. (U) Consulate General HCMC Health Unit conducted 
briefings on influenza and avian influenza that was attended 
by all American and FSN staff.  Information materials were 
provided in both English and Vietnamese and the briefing 
taught employees how to recognize symptoms of influenza, 
explained how to limit exposure and the spread of the virus, 
and answered general health and immunization questions. 
MINIMIZE CONSIDERED 
MARINE