VZCZCXRO7146
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHNH RUEHPB
DE RUEHKO #2907/01 1450803
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 250803Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2515
INFO RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 6399
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 6346
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 9022
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 9621
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 7557
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC 8262
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 002907 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AIAG AMBASSADOR LANGE 
DEPT FOR OES/IHA SINGER AND FENDRICK 
DEPT FOR EAP/J 
USDA PASS TO APHIS 
HHS PASS TO CDC 
HHS FOR OGHA STEIGER, BHAT AND ELVANDER 
DEPT PASS TO AID/GH/HIDN DENNIS CARROLL 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO KFLU KSTH ECON PREL SOCI WHO JA
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA: JAPAN WEEKLY REPORT MAY 25 
 
REF: (A) 05 STATE 153802; (B) TOKYO 2572; (C) TOKYO 2719 
 
AND PREVIOUS 
 
TOKYO 00002907  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  The following is an update of avian influenza (AI) 
developments in Japan for the period May 17-25.  No human 
or animal outbreaks of H5N1 avian influenza were reported 
in Japan during this period. 
 
Details on Draft Guidelines on Japan's ASEAN Tamiflu/PPE 
Stockpile 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) The Government of Japan is currently negotiating 
draft guidelines with the World Health Organization (WHO) 
and ASEAN Secretariat for the use and deployment of the 
stockpile of Tamiflu and personal protective equipment 
(PPE) that Tokyo has set aside for early avian influenza 
containment efforts under the umbrella of the Japan-ASEAN 
Integration Fund (JAIF). (For further details see ref C.) 
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Asian and Oceanian 
Affairs Bureau provided a copy of the draft guidelines to 
Embassy via email on May 22, which has been passed to 
EAP/J.  Though the guidelines remain in a draft form and 
may be later amended as a result of Tokyo's discussions 
with ASEAN and the WHO, preliminary details are summarized 
below: 
 
¶3. (SBU) Five hundred thousand courses of the antiviral 
drug Tamiflu and personal protective equipment (PPE) -- 
including influenza test kits, protective gowns, masks, 
gloves, and antiseptic solution -- for 700,000 people will 
be stockpiled in Singapore for use in early containment 
efforts during an outbreak of pandemic influenza in the 
ASEAN region.  The draft guidelines specify that all of the 
Tamiflu courses will be procured in Japan.  Up to 500,000 
additional courses of Tamiflu may be procured depending on 
the availability of the antiviral drug.  These additional 
Tamiflu courses will be allocated to ASEAN member countries 
for each government's stockpile at the discretion of ASEAN 
in close consultation with the WHO and the government of 
Japan. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The guidelines state that the GOJ expects the 
entire Tamiflu stockpile will be used as one unit to 
contain the first major outbreak of pandemic influenza in 
the ASEAN region.  They note that the stockpile should not, 
in principle, be divided and allocated to multiple ASEAN 
member countries.  The JAIF stockpile is designed to 
facilitate immediate distribution of the Tamiflu to 
affected areas until the arrival of WHO supplies from 
outside of the ASEAN region. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Regarding the timely mobilization of the drugs, 
the guidelines state that the ASEAN Secretariat is 
authorized in advance by the government of each ASEAN 
member country and the GOJ to follow guidance from the WHO 
on the delivery of the Tamiflu stockpile.  Within 12 hours 
of receiving WHO guidance, the ASEAN Secretariat will begin 
procedures to arrange for the transfer of the Tamiflu 
stockpile to the target country or countries.  Within 24 
hours of receiving the instructions from the ASEAN 
Secretariat, the Tamiflu stockpile will be transferred by 
 
SIPDIS 
the shipping agent to an airport/facility in or close to 
the target country or countries designated by the concerned 
government(s) or WHO. 
 
¶6. (SBU) The draft guidelines also contain a clause that 
would allow the stockpile to be used in non-ASEAN 
countries.  If an outbreak of possible pandemic influenza 
occurs in a neighboring non-ASEAN region that threatens to 
spread the disease to the ASEAN region, the government of 
Japan, the governments of ASEAN member countries, and the 
ASEAN Secretariat, may respond to a request by the WHO to 
transfer the Tamiflu stockpile to the neighboring non-ASEAN 
 
TOKYO 00002907  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
region. 
 
¶7. (SBU) Regarding the stockpile of personal protective 
equipment, the draft guidelines note that some portion of 
the PPE may be distributed to ASEAN member countries in 
advance of an outbreak if the ASEAN side makes such a 
decision.  ASEAN member countries and the government of 
Japan, in consultation with the WHO, will decide on the 
amount of PPE to be distributed in advance. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Finally, the guidelines state that the government 
of the target country will be responsible for the cost of 
the transfer of the Tamiflu stockpile from the designated 
airport/facility to the target areas.  In order to ensure 
rapid distribution of the Tamiflu/PPE stockpiles to target 
areas, the guidelines require that the government of each 
ASEAN member country establish in advance a set of 
comprehensive measures that will help facilitate immediate 
customs clearance for the Tamiflu/PPE stockpiles and 
provide for a waiver of import taxes on these goods.  The 
government of each ASEAN member country will also establish 
a logistical support plan to ensure expeditious delivery of 
the Tamiflu/PPE stockpiles from the designated 
airport/facility to the affected areas. 
 
Ibaraki Poultry Farms Call For Safety Declaration 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶9.  (U) On May 18, 20 representatives from eight poultry 
farms in Ibaraki Prefecture visited the Ibaraki Government 
to request that it issue a declaration of safety on the 
outbreaks of avian influenza in the prefecture.  The 
representatives submitted a petition to Governor Masaru 
Hashimoto and called for the declaration in order to 
"prevent harmful rumors from spreading".  In April, the 
prefecture announced that it completed culling all 5.68 
million chickens that were infected with avian influenza or 
were under surveillance for the disease.  After the 
culling, the prefecture did not issue a declaration of 
safety because eggs were already being sent to the market 
and to date have been safe to consume, while there was 
still a risk that outbreaks could occur again given that 
similar outbreaks of avian influenza abroad have persisted 
over time. 
 
SCHIEFFER