Vaccinated Mainland chickens destined for Hong Kong markets will be available by the end of the year.

The move has been made possible after Hong Kong and Mainland health authorities reached an agreement on the vaccination of chickens.

The Government said the move aims to ensure the same level of protection applies to both imported and locally produced chickens.

The Health, Welfare & Food Bureau said the agreement was reached following a series of exchanges with export control counterparts and other relevant parties over the efficacy, safety and quality of the Mainland-approved H5N2 vaccine.

Every consignment of Mainland birds must come from a registered farm and be accompanied by a health certificate issued by the inspection and quarantine bureau concerned.

Under the new import control programme, the health certificate should state, among other things, that birds in the consignment have been vaccinated with an approved H5 avian influenza vaccine and have been subjected to testing to show that the birds have satisfactory antibody responses.

When the birds arrive at the border, the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department will inspect them, verify the content of the accompanying health certificates and take samples randomly to test for the H5 antibody.

If any farm is repeatedly found to supply birds with unsatisfactory antibody responses, the Mainland authorities will be asked to suspend exports from that farm and to investigate the causes of the problem.

The Government stressed that vaccination is by no means the panacea for managing our avian influenza problem.

As the H5 avian influenza virus has become endemic in the region, the risk of H5N1 avian influenza outbreaks in chickens will remain as long as the trade exists.