Let's get a break from Corona and gear up for mass vaccination against bird flu!

The bird flu panzootic can at most accelerate the denouement of the Covid-19 pandemic. As I described in a previous contribution, this virus is hardly concerned with adapting to humans or other mammals (https://www.trialsitenews.com/a/is-the-bird-flu-panzootic-expediting-the-end-of-the-sars-cov-2-immune-escape-pandemic-f4182f36). This has now also 'technically' been confirmed: “No amino acid changes were identified in the HA gene sequence from the Michigan patient specimen compared to the HA sequence from the case in Texas and only minor changes were identified when compared to sequences from cows. These data indicate viruses detected in both cows and the two human cases maintain primarily avian genetic characteristics and lack changes that would make them better adapted to infect or transmit between humans” (https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/spotlights/2023-2024/h5n1-technical-update-may-24-2024.html).

Mutation PB2 M631L does not make the virus more infectious for mammals (including humans) but merely reflects the selection of a mutation that allows the virus to better replicate in mammalian cells once the 'spill over' (which does not require adaptation) has occurred.

In my TSN article, I describe the non-species-specific mechanism responsible for transmission of H5N1 to mammalian species, which in the vast majority of infections leads to no more than mild symptoms. Hence, the whole fuss about a possible bird flu pandemic is scientifically irresponsible. Instead of focusing on the questionable evolution of the current SARS-CoV-2 variants, efforts are once again being wasted on obsolete discussions and preparations regarding the initiation of a possible mass vaccination program against bird flu. That the expansion of this panzootic is related to the mutual immunological interference of ecosystems disrupted by the Covid-19 mass vaccination is of course far beyond the understanding of our public health authorities.