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  Australia to Vaccinate Birds as H5 Bird Flu Threat Expands

  Australia is stepping up efforts to contain the spread of H5 avian influenza by launching a vaccination program for birds considered particularly vulnerable to the highly pathogenic virus. Authorities said captive birds will be the top priority, while vaccination of some wild birds will be carried out where practical. The move follows Australia's first reported mass deaths of native seabirds linked to H5 bird flu last week.Australia detected its first H5 avian influenza case in June, when the virus was found in a migratory bird. As of August 10, authorities had reported 231 confirmed or suspected positive H5 cases. No infections have so far been detected in Australia's poultry industry or agricultural production. Agriculture Minister Julie Collins warned that the country should prepare for further outbreaks and additional bird deaths as the virus continues to spread.Environment Minister Murray Watt said vaccinating wild birds would be difficult because they require two doses. Capturing a wild bird once is already challenging, he said, making repeated vaccination even harder. The government will therefore focus first on captive birds, while vaccinating wild birds wherever conditions allow. Waterbirds, shorebirds, seabirds and birds of prey are among the wild species considered particularly vulnerable to the virus.Australia had remained one of the world's few continents without H5 virus strains for years, but the virus has now reached its wild bird populations. The development has raised concerns because Australia is home to many species found nowhere else. Scientists have also reported that H5 avian influenza infected southern elephant seal populations on remote Heard Island and the McDonald Islands, killing more than 13,000 pups and highlighting the potentially severe impact of the virus on wildlife.

  2026-08-15 09:00
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  • 菲律賓國旗

  Trump orders overhaul of US childhood vaccine schedule, drawing medical concerns

  President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday to reshape the US childhood vaccination schedule, including reducing the number of vaccines broadly recommended for children and spreading vaccinations across multiple medical visits. The move represents a major shift in federal vaccine policy and follows months of pressure from Trump on Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to revise existing recommendations.Under the new policy, vaccines against measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, Hib, pneumococcal disease, HPV and chickenpox would remain broadly recommended. Hepatitis A and B, meningococcal and dengue vaccines would primarily be recommended for higher-risk children, while some vaccines, including those for influenza, Covid-19 and rotavirus, would involve discussions between parents and health care providers.The order also calls for the MMR vaccine to be offered as three separate shots, although separate versions are not currently commercially available in the US. HHS is expected to work with manufacturers and develop a plan within 90 days. Trump also argued that vaccinations should be spaced further apart, but the administration has not provided scientific evidence supporting claims that children receive unsafe amounts of vaccines.The policy immediately drew criticism from medical professionals and lawmakers. Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy, a physician, said vaccines are broadly safe and effective and warned that separating vaccines could require children to receive more injections and increase vaccine hesitancy. Medical groups also expressed concerns that changes to federal recommendations could affect insurance coverage and increase costs for families. Scientific studies have found no evidence linking vaccines to autism.

  2026-08-15 09:00
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  Picky Eater Monster arrives in New Taipei City with free summer family challenges

  Children's picky eating can turn every meal into a challenge. The free New Taipei City food and agriculture education exhibition, "Taste Planet: Attack of the Picky Eater Monster", is now open. Families can become planet guardians, complete interactive challenges, learn where food comes from, and explore local agricultural and fishery products.Built around the original character "Picky Eater Monster", the exhibition gives each family a mission card to help restore Taste Planet through observation, matching, and decision-making. No prior knowledge is required, allowing parents and children to discover clues together while learning about balanced diets and seasonal ingredients.The challenges feature local products including green bamboo shoots, sweet potatoes, Chinese yams, pumpkins, New Taipei tea, Wanli crabs, and Gongliao abalone. Children can identify familiar and lesser-known ingredients and learn where and when they are produced. Parents can also discuss food shopping, mealtimes, waste reduction, and the environment with their children.After completing the missions, families can visit displays on crop cultivation, eco-friendly farming, aquaculture, beekeeping, tea culture, and rural life. Additional exhibits present school food education and sustainable living projects, introducing food and farming experiences available across New Taipei City.The exhibition runs through August 22 in the first-floor lobby of New Taipei City Government and is free to enter. Families can take on the "Picky Eater Monster" during the summer vacation and rediscover the food served at home through stories and interactive games.

  2026-08-15 09:05