HANOI, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam is expected to import 500 million doses of bird flu vaccines to be used among poultry in the 2007-2008 period, according to local newspaper Vietnam Economic Times on Wednesday.

    Vietnam, which has completed this year's first batch of bird flu vaccination among fowls nationwide, plans to finish the second batch by late this month. In the second batch, Vietnam has vaccinated 119 million fowls in 59 cities and provinces nationwide, the newspaper quoted sources from the Department of Animal Health under the country's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

    Vietnam, to prevent reoccurrence of bird flu outbreaks, is intensifying fights against fowl smuggling, and monitoring poultry transport and trade.

    Bird flu outbreaks, starting in Vietnam in December 2003, have killed and led to the forced culling of dozens of millions of fowls.

    The last outbreak of bird flu among poultry in the country was in December 2005, according to the ministry.