VZCZCXRO9982
OO RUEHAG RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ
RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHVI #0488/01 0471806
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 161806Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 2418
INFO RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1094
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA IMMEDIATE
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VIENNA 000488 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS, SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR OES/IHA, EUR/AGS 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO SENV EAGR EAID ASEC ECON WHO PHUM AU
SUBJECT: AVIAN FLU: AUSTRIAN HEALTH MINISTRY VIEWS 
 
REF: A) VIENNA 470 B)05 VIENNA 3865 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary: DCM discussed avian flu in a February 16 
meeting with Dr. Clemens Auer, Chief of Staff of the 
Minister of Health and Women (MoH).  The two also exchanged 
views on biotechnology and tradition-based violence against 
women.  On avian flu, Auer said that the GOA welcomes 
improving international coordination, as well as increased 
USG participation. While the problem is serious, the GOA 
strives to avoid panic and hysteria by being fully open and 
transparent.  Auer noted that Health Minister Rauch-Kallat 
has called a meeting of Health Ministers to discuss avian 
flu in Brussels on March 10.  He also reaffirmed the GOA's 
readiness to host the next International Partnership on 
Avian and Pandemic Influenza (IPAPI) conference in Vienna on 
June 5-6, and said he understood preparatory work to be 
moving forward. END Summary. 
 
Coordination: National, EU, and International 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Auer said that the EU has a well-established 
coordination system that is excellent on the avian flu side 
and satisfactory on the pandemic side.  Auer said that the 
acquisition of vaccines is an area where the EU and other 
bodies could benefit from improved coordination.  Until now, 
there has been too much a mentality of "every man for 
himself," which means that some countries will end up with 
large amounts of stockpiled medicine (i.e. Tamiflu), while 
others will have nothing.  Auer said that by mid-2007, the 
GOA will have stockpiled 4.5 million antiviral treatments. 
It will be the highest per capita coverage in Europe and 
will cost between Euros 50-60 million: "a little bit 
ridiculous," Auer noted. 
 
¶3.  (U) Auer was also pleased at the improving international 
level of coordination, evidenced particularly in Beijing. 
The GOA was initially skeptical about IPAPI.  However, the 
Austrians welcome the fact that the USG has increased its 
focus on cooperation and Austria looks forward to hosting 
the next IPAPI meeting on June 5-6, 2006 in Vienna.  Auer 
lauded the tenor of the January International Donor Pledging 
Conference on Avian and Human Influenza in Beijing, 
describing it as an "impressive conference" where donors 
succeeded in working together to achieve consensus. 
 
 
Further Restrictive Measures in Austria? 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶4.  (U) At the moment, H5N1 incidence has only occurred in 
wild birds in Austria.  The big fear is that it will spread 
to poultry.  Although the idea of caging chickens is 
difficult for a country that boasts a proud free-range 
industry, the GOA will not hesitate to do so if the problem 
spreads.  Auer said that the minute an infected bird is 
found outside a designated high-risk area (near lakes and 
rivers where migratory birds congregate), a nationwide 
obligation to keep birds in closed areas would go into 
effect. 
 
¶5.  (U) The MoH's chief medical officer was due to meet 
poultry producers in southern Austria on February 15.  Auer 
said that the producers might ask the GOA to impose indoor 
confinement of poultry.  They are nervous for the health of 
the industry, especially after witnessing the recent 
collapse of the poultry market in Italy. 
 
Battling Public Panic 
--------------------- 
 
¶6.  (U) Auer said that a lesson learned from the avian flu 
crisis in Autumn 2005 was the importance of the media in the 
public information effort.  Dissemination of accurate 
information is key to this strategy.  The GOAheld seminars 
for journalists so that the press culd learn the true story 
from scientific expertsand government officials directly. 
Since bilding relationships of trust with the press was 
key, the GOA has adhered to a "fully open and transparent 
media policy." 
 
¶7.  (U) Auer also noted that in response to the 
identification of multiple H5N1 cases in the EU, Minister of 
Health Rauch-Kallat decided, in coordination with EU Health 
Commissioner Markos Kypriano, to organize a meeting of all 
EU Ministers of Health on March 10, 2006 in Brussels. 
 
Update on Vaccines 
 
VIENNA 00000488  002 OF 002 
 
 
------------------ 
 
¶8.  (SBU) The GOA is currently negotiating an agreement with 
the Austrian subsidiary of Baxter for the proposed purchase 
of 16 million doses of a prophylactic human influenza 
vaccine (two doses needed for each of Austria's 8 million 
inhabitants).  The GOA believes that Baxter's advantage is 
its viral cell technology, which is significantly faster 
than the egg-based technology traditionally used.  Once it 
isolates a virus, Baxter would be able to produce a vaccine 
in 10-12 weeks.  Egg-based technology would take two to 
three times as long. 
 
¶9.  (SBU)  Auer said that initially the GOA was skeptical of 
Baxter's claims.  However, after further discussions with 
the company, as well as consultations with virologists, the 
GOA is increasingly confident that Baxter can fulfill its 
promises.   When the GOA first began negotiations with 
Baxter, the company indicated its production capacity was 
one million doses per week.  However, Baxter officials 
recently have amended that estimate to two million doses per 
week that would be produced in two factories: one in Orth, 
Austria and the other in the Czech Republic.  It is also 
possible that  Baxter would expand its plant in Krems, 
Austria to accommodate vaccine production. 
 
Austrian Opposition to GMOs 
--------------------------- 
 
¶10.  (SBU) In a brief exchange on Austrian opposition to 
agricultural biotechnology, Auer said that Austrian public 
opinion largely drives GOA policy.  Auer acknowledged that 
one could describe Austrian views as "extreme."  In 
explaining the psychology behind this, he said that Austrian 
agriculture is very proud of its organic sector, and will do 
everything within its power "to keep it clean."  WTO rulings 
notwithstanding, the agricultural sector, supported by the 
Austrian public, will fight for what it deems a vital 
economic sustainability issue. 
 
Combating Tradition-Based Violence Against Women 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶11.  (SBU) In her ministry's EU Presidency program, Minister 
Rauch-Kallat has focused on the issue of tradition-based 
violence against women.  While she has succeeded in raising 
awareness on the EU level, Auer said that the Minister has 
encountered resistance on the international level.  She has 
failed in her attempts to make it part of the UN agenda, 
mainly because of resistance from African and Muslim 
countries which view this as a cultural issue. 
 
¶12.  (SBU) Comment: Auer is a committed and reasoned 
interlocutor.  He strongly agreed that the Austrian-U.S. 
relationship should focus on the great number of points in 
common between the two countries, rather than the 
differences.  The GOA's rapid response to the first avian 
flu cases here shows that both as a country and EU 
President, Austria is preparing well for the further 
challenges that avian flu will present in the coming months. 
As Auer made clear, the U.S. will find Austria a strong 
international partner in this area. 
 
MCCAW#