Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05PRAGUE1638
2005-11-23 15:50:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Prague
Cable title:  

CZECH REPUBLIC: AVIAN AND PANDEMIC INFLUENZA

Tags:  TBIO SENV ECON EAGR EAID PREL EZ 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PRAGUE 001638 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR EUR/NCE, OES DSINGER AND RDALEY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO SENV ECON EAGR EAID PREL EZ
SUBJECT: CZECH REPUBLIC: AVIAN AND PANDEMIC INFLUENZA
INFORMATION

REF: A. STATE 209622


B. PRAGUE 01533

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PRAGUE 001638

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

STATE FOR EUR/NCE, OES DSINGER AND RDALEY

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO SENV ECON EAGR EAID PREL EZ
SUBJECT: CZECH REPUBLIC: AVIAN AND PANDEMIC INFLUENZA
INFORMATION

REF: A. STATE 209622


B. PRAGUE 01533


1. (U) This cable responds to the request for information in
reftel A in the same order as the original questionnaire.


2. (SBU) Preparedness/Communication:

-- The GOCR has a preparedness plan for pandemics that was
submitted to the WHO in 2000 and updated in April of 2004.
It can be found at the following website:
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/czec hplan.pdf. The
plan offers a detailed overview of the capabilities of the
Czech Republic to respond to a pandemic. Per reftel B,
however, the country does not appear to be prepared to
implement this plan. Hospitals that we contacted at the
working level were unaware of the plan. One main problem is
a lack of consistent leadership at the Ministry of Health,
which has seen six Ministers in as many years. The current
Minister of Health, Dr. David Rath (appointed November 4),is
distracted by a battle for control of the country's largest
medical insurance company at the moment, but his Deputy
Minister and the Chief Public Health Officer of the Czech
Republic, Dr. Michael Vit, is up to speed on the pandemic
plan and is the primary government representative to this
week's EU pandemic simulation exercise.

-- The GOCR will likely be truthful in reporting the scope of
any disease outbreak among people and among animals.

-- Preparing for an avian flu human pandemic does not rank
high among government priorities as illustrated by the
absence of any apparent training on the pandemic plan or any
large scale media campaign to inform the public about the
disease. Per reftel B, the Minister of Health has made
public statements to the effect that the disease is not a
threat or major concern. The Minister, Dr. Rath, would be
the individual most capable of elevating the importance of
this subject in the government but is engaged in other
political battles and will likely remain otherwise occupied
with his political role as the 2006 elections are on the
horizon. The working POC for USG officials remains Dr. Vit

from the Ministry of Health or Dr. Zbynek Semerad from the
State Veterinary Administration.

-- National laws do not pose a barrier to avian flu
detection, reporting, containment or response.

-- The Czech government is working within the EU framework
and with the WHO to prepare for any possible flu pandemic.
Government leaders are not likely to ask the USG for
assistance, but have previously been receptive to information
from the USG at both the bilateral and multilateral level.

-- The country does administer flu shots, but was unprepared
for the large volume of requests for flu shots this year and
quickly ran through their original stockpile (an additional
120,000 shots have been ordered and will arrive by early
December). Czech citizens appear to consider the flu shot as
a prophylactic against avian flu. Usually only 7% of Czech
citizens get a flu shot (well below the EU average of 20%)
but the numbers will be much higher this year. The Czech
Republic does not produce these flu vaccines domestically,
nor do they produce a flu vaccine for poultry. The country
is not developing an H5N1 vaccine. There is a registration
requirement for donors/makers of vaccines that would either
have to be complied with or waived by the government. If the
vaccine is registered as safe or exempt from the regulation,
there would indeed be a liability shield according to the
State Veterinary Administration.

-- The population is relatively aware of the threat of an
avian flu human pandemic based upon media coverage in print
and on television. However, there is a wide misunderstanding
that the regular flu vaccine would prevent avian flu which
the government is attempting to combat via fact sheets on the
Ministry of Health web page and occasion TV interviews.
According to the State Veterinary Administration, should
there be a real health threat due to avian flu, additional
information would be broadcast through print, radio, and
television media, as well as via regional government offices
and town mayors.


3. (SBU) Surveillance/Detection

-- The medical and agricultural sectors are competent and
capable of detecting a new strain of influenza. If it cannot
be subtyped here in the Czech Republic, it would be sent to
the EU reference lab in the UK and it would take 1-2 weeks to
get a final result.
-- The critical gap in disease detection and outbreak
response capabilities is at the working level. The State
Veterinary Administration seems to be well-prepared for
handling detection and poultry extermination should the need
arise, but the Ministry of Health seems to be prepared only
on paper. It is doubtful that the country's medical
facilities could absorb any surge in patient levels and
coordination within the government on a human pandemic
response would likely be haphazard. However, the simulation
run by the EU the week of November 20 should help to identify
any egregious faults in the Czech system and hopefully they
will be in a better position to respond on the heels of this
exercise.


4. (SBU) Response/containment

-- The country has 600,000 doses of Tamiflu and has ordered
two million more (but they are not expected until the middle
of next year). It is sufficient to treat first-responders
and the elderly, but other at-risk groups in the population,
such as young children, would be in dire straits.

-- Personal protective gear is available for veterinary
officials, first responders, and military chemical
contamination specialists only.

-- The response capability for animal outbreaks and for the
culling of birds is good. The State Veterinary
Administration has two emergency destruction centers, and has
an up-to-date plan to respond to any infectious diseases.
Rapid response to human outbreaks would be acceptable for
small outbreaks, but would be quickly overwhelmed if the
numbers climb.

-- The Czech government's pandemic plan does not take
large-scale quarantines into consideration. Enforcement of
social distancing measures would likely be difficult, and
military involvement in the process is uncertain.
CABANISS