Bird flu worries hit Britain

LONDON, Oct. 16 (UPI) -- Britain's chief medical Officer told doctors in the country to prepare for the worst when, not if, the bird flu pandemic breaks out.

Sir Liam Donaldson asked the 34,000 general practitioners to prepare an emergency plan to dole out the 14 million doses of vaccines, The Observer reports.

The announcement comes at a time when Europe is taking the possible bird flu pandemic more serious.

It was first discovered in Asia in December 2003. Since then, more than 60 people and millions of animals, mostly birds and poultry, have died.

On Saturday Europe's first cases of bird flu were confirmed in multiple birds in Romania and Turkey.

Donaldson said he wishes there were more time to prepare for the pandemic.

Critics say there was. Opposition health secretary Andrew Lansley, said he pressed the government to stockpile vaccinations in June 2004, when France was making plans.

And 77 percent of doctors polled on the popular Web site doctors.net.uk said they don't have enough information from the government.