Thai government officials are to meet next week to determine the zones for avian flu vaccine trials, the Director of the government's avian flu operation centre, Dr. Charal Trinvuthipong, revealed on Friday.

Dr. Charal was quoted by the Thai News Agency as saying Saturday that the meeting on Dec. 27 would select zones which had been affected by the bird flu pandemic, but said that the government had not yet decided which provinces it would choose.

He said the test would be conducted in areas where outbreaks of the bird flu occurred earlier this year.

He also revealed that government study tours to Vietnam and China had shown that several practices to stamp out avian flu used in those two countries could be adapted for use in Thailand.

Dismissing foreign media accusations of a cover-up in Thailand, he said that Thailand's image as a country where the pandemic was rife was largely a result of the government's widespread and open reporting.

Source: Xinhua