Tools
Change country:

Why aren’t we vaccinating birds against bird flu?

Egg-laying chickens in a crowded barn.
Jessica Craig for Vox

It’s not as complicated as it seems, but there’s one key hurdle.

The worst bird flu outbreak in US history continues with strange new developments. Bird flu is now infecting cows, the FDA found viral genetic material in milk, and a second human was recently infected.

H5N1 — the strain of highly pathogenic avian influenza circulating — currently poses little threat to people as spillover from animals to humans is rare, as is human-to-human transmission. But the recent spillover from birds to cows has triggered new fears that the virus could potentially mutate and cause a deadly human pandemic.

In the past two years, more than 90 million poultry birds from 48 US states have died from the virus or were killed in an attempt to slow the spread of the disease. (Wild birds and some mammals including sea lions and cats have gotten sick, too.)

Historically, farmers and poultry producers have used three main strategies to slow the spread: kill entire flocks of chickens and turkeys at the earliest sign of infection, surveil the movement of the virus, and improve biosecurity measures. This approach, sometimes referred to as “stamping out,” has thus far failed to curb bird flu and has raised concerns around animal cruelty. But as the virus continues to spread among livestock animals such as cows, relying on mass culling may not be as tenable.

“This virus is not going away,” said Carol Cardona, a professor at the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine. “And I’m not sure how sustainable this approach that we’re using is.”

Given the record-shattering infection rates among poultry and the unprecedented recent spillover to a wide range of other species, some bird flu experts and wildlife researchers are calling for renewed efforts to develop, test, and deploy a vaccine for poultry and potentially other species. Short of triggering a human pandemic, continued spread of bird flu among livestock could further threaten national and global food security.

“The current virus is being spread by wild birds. It is evident that the biosecurity arrangements on some farms, especially chicken layer and turkey farms, are not sufficient to prevent all virus incursions,” said Leslie Sims, the director of the Asia Pacific Veterinary Information Services. “Vaccination, if used, would add an additional layer of protection.”

Effective bird flu vaccines for poultry have existed for years and are even used routinely in other countries. But, in stark contrast to the Covid-19 pandemic when new vaccines were rapidly developed and rolled out, the US has yet to adopt vaccination as a disease control strategy for bird flu. The US Department of Agriculture reported promising results from clinical trials of several vaccine candidates, but despite this breakthrough, a slew of logistical, political, and economic challenges might prohibit their use.

A brief history of bird flu vaccines

Avian influenza vaccines have long been used around the world with varying degrees of success. In some countries, such as Egypt and China where bird flu is enzootic (meaning it is consistently present in animals), vaccination is routine.

In China, several vaccines have been developed. One study found that vaccinating against H5 and H7 subtypes reduced the number of cases in poultry, but another study pointed out that China continues to suffer recurrent outbreaks while others have suggested that culling would be a more cost-effective strategy. In Egypt, vaccination efforts have largely been unsuccessful, in part because it is the only disease control method used in the country.

Last year, Mexico, Guatemala, and other countries hit hard by the ongoing epidemic also started vaccinating against H5N1. In late 2022, Mexico began vaccinating broiler chickens and other birds in high-risk zones; almost one year later, the government declared the country free of influenza before reporting an outbreak in one flock on a commercial farm about a month later.

Only in the past year did some Western countries begin focusing on vaccination. In March 2023, the Dutch government announced that it had developed two bird flu vaccines and that laboratory trials revealed those vaccines to be effective at preventing infection and disease transmission. Italy and the Netherlands are also testing vaccines. In October, the French government started vaccinating ducks for avian influenza and has since vaccinated more than 21 million. According to a press release from France’s Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, there have been only 10 outbreaks since vaccination began compared to 315 outbreaks during the same time in the previous year. (The EU is dividing research among member states.)

“Vaccination has played a very important role in the prevention of avian influenza elsewhere,” Sims said, adding that widespread preventive vaccination has also been used successfully in Hong Kong since 2003. In both France and Hong Kong, “the decision was taken to vaccinate because existing strengthened measures based around biosecurity could not prevent all cases of infection,” Sims explained.

Scientific, economic, and logistical challenges of mass bird flu vaccination

The US government has at least considered vaccination before.

During the 2014-2015 bird flu outbreak when more than 50 million chickens and turkeys died or were culled, the USDA stockpiled a bird flu vaccine. However, those vaccines were not deployed; the epidemic was instead brought under control through the stamping-out approach.

Following that outbreak, the USDA developed policies and guidance regarding the use of bird flu vaccines. A 2016 policy brief stated that controlled vaccination for flocks at risk should be included in a multi-prong control strategy alongside enhanced biosecurity, an eradication plan, monitoring, and a repopulation plan.

In a 2016 report, the USDA reported that the stockpiled vaccine wasn’t “well matched” to then-circulating strains. Like influenza in humans, bird flu is a quickly evolving virus. Ensuring that a vaccine is highly effective against H5N1 is the first critical step in a successful vaccination campaign. In 2023, the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service began testing five vaccine candidates. According to the USDA’s website, studies show the candidates provided near 100 percent clinical protection in chickens. (The USDA has also started to “assess the potential to develop” an H5N1 vaccine for cows.) The USDA has not released further information about the clinical trials.

However, despite seemingly having an effective vaccine in hand, as of late April, the USDA is still not pursuing bird flu vaccination as a disease control strategy. “While USDA is exploring the possibility of developing a poultry H5N1 vaccine to stock and use in an emergency, we are not moving forward with a HPAI vaccination program at this time,” a USDA spokesperson told Vox.

Given the scale of the ongoing outbreak, some experts feel that the lack of a vaccine push from the USDA is hamstringing disease control efforts. “I’m a poultry veterinarian, and as a veterinarian, I don’t like the idea that you tell me to go fight the biggest fight of my career and you say, here’s your gun; first, let’s unload it. Now, go,” said Cardona. “A vaccine is simply a tool, and how we use it can be very effective.”

The USDA and industry stakeholders have cited a slew of various challenges that would hinder vaccination.

The biggest sticking point is around trade. The US exported more than $5 billion in poultry meat and products on average every year for the past three years. The USDA enters into trade agreements with each individual country it trades with, explained Upali Galketi Aratchilage, a senior economist at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Each agreement outlines specific biosafety and production requirements that both countries agree to follow. The USDA said, in an email to Vox, that many of those agreements do not allow bird flu vaccination. “For now, biosecurity is the best defense against HPAI,” a USDA spokesperson wrote.

One main reason is the potential to import infected poultry. Vaccination does not prevent infection; it prevents severe disease and death by priming the immune system to better squash pathogens upon infection. By preventing overt flu symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, or reduced egg production, infected birds might then inadvertently enter the food chain. Importing an infected bird could set off new outbreaks, threatening the local supply chain.

But, Cardona explained, the industry no longer relies on diagnosing sick poultry based on visible signs and symptoms but on strict protocols that utilize molecular testing.

Take eggs, for example. Before eggs can enter the food chain, the hens that laid the eggs are tested twice for influenza. Farmers collect samples from the hens the day they lay the eggs and then two days later (the virus spreads so fast that it could be detected in that time). The samples that are collected undergo molecular testing, meaning that scientists look for the genetic fingerprints of the virus in the samples which would be found even in asymptomatic chickens. Not every single hen can be tested, but a random and representative selection is tested each time.

“Markets have been negotiated based on not using vaccination ... based on, frankly, older data [that] there could be a chance that you would import the virus in an animal or in a product that has vaccine in it,” Cardona said.

Another concern is differentiating infected from vaccinated animals, the so-called “DIVA” problem. It’s the challenge of identifying whether a bird is actually sick or just has antibodies after vaccination, as Kenny Torrella has previously explained. Again, this seems like an outdated concern as newer technology is capable of differentiating between animals infected with flu versus those that received the vaccine.

Then there’s the logistical challenge that the USDA and other stakeholders cite. The vaccines currently undergoing trials “continue to rely on a two-dose regimen, which can be impractical for distribution to flocks,” the USDA website states. This hurdle does not seem insurmountable, the experts Vox spoke with said, since poultry already receive several vaccines such as those for Newcastle disease, salmonella, and bronchitis. Some vaccines are given through the poultry’s water supply or sprayed in the air. There is even a method where the vaccine is poked through the eggshell and injected into a chicken embryo during development at the hatchery.

Even with biological, technological, and logistical hurdles surpassed, the decision around vaccination seems to be a monetary one. Beyond the cost of vaccination, there’s the potential of losing key trade partners. Trade agreements, especially for meat, are notoriously delicate, in part because of the risk of introducing infectious diseases and pests into a country’s food chain but more so because governments need to protect the agricultural industry from foreign competition. The National Chicken Council is opposed to vaccination efforts. The National Turkey Federation says unilateral vaccination “would have a severe impact on exports” but that it has urged — and continues to urge — the federal government to “move as rapidly as possible to try to develop new agreements” with trading partners.

“Meat is a highly politically sensitive issue for many countries, and the entire livestock industry is protected in many countries for various reasons,” said Aratchilage. Introducing bird flu vaccines is not going to be easy, he added. “It’s a political decision more than a scientific decision.”


Read full article on: vox.com
Kamala Harris’ abortion lies: Here’s what she and Trump can — and CAN’T — do
Abortion rights do not hinge on who is elected president, or on which party controls Congress. The issue is out of their hands.
4 m
nypost.com
After pilot error, F-35 fighter jet flew for 11 minutes on its own before crashing
The F-35 pilot made the wrong decision in ejecting, according to a report released Thursday, considering the F-35 "continued to fly for an extended period after ejection."
9 m
cbsnews.com
The 2024 choice on taxes: Harris would boost them — Trump, lower them
If you’d like more cash in your pocket and an economy fired up by tax cuts, then Donald Trump is your man hands down.
nypost.com
How Israelis see the U.S. election
With Israel at war in Gaza and in Lebanon, and led by the most right-wing government in its modern history, the Middle East is closely watching the results of the U.S. election, which could determine U.S. foreign policy in the region. Holly Williams spoke to Israelis about their perspective of the November election.
cbsnews.com
Illegal immigrant faces hate crime, terrorism charges in shooting of Jewish man in Chicago
An illegal migrant is facing felony terrorism and hate crime charges after authorities say he shot a Jewish man who was walking to a synagogue.
foxnews.com
Alonso Ruizpalacios nos mete en las entrañas de ‘La cocina’
La nueva película del director de ‘Güeros’ se estrena este fin de semana en Los Ángeles
latimes.com
Jets’ Thomas Morstead dresses up as Jeff Ulrbich in spot-on Halloween costume
They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery, and if that’s the case then Thomas Morstead did one heck of a job on Halloween. 
nypost.com
Country sensation Oliver Anthony leaving industry one year after meteoric rise to start traveling ministry
Country star Oliver Anthony, who rose to fame last year with his song "Rich Men North of Richmond," said this week that he's leaving the music industry to become a traveling minister.
foxnews.com
Cowboys stars omit Dak Prescott when listing top quarterbacks in NFL
Dallas Cowboys stars Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs listed their top quarterbacks in the league and failed to mention their own, Dak Prescott.
foxnews.com
Harris makes final campaign push in West
Vice President Kamala Harris was campaigning in two critical battleground western states Thursday, hoping Latino voters can help deliver Arizona and Nevada. Polls show that Harris narrowly trails former President Donald Trump in the Grand Canyon State, where his campaign has run advertising criticizing her on immigration and inflation. Kris Van Cleave has the latest.
cbsnews.com
"Pivotal races that could determine control of the House "
Republicans currently hold a slim 220-212 majority in the House, and a few dozen tight races could decide which party will boost or slow a Trump or Harris presidency, with about a third of those in New York and California. Scott MacFarlane has more.
cbsnews.com
Trump says he will "protect women" whether they "like it or not"
While campaigning in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on Wednesday, former President Donald Trump told a crowd that "whether the women like it or not, I'm going to protect them.'" Vice President Kamala Harris called the remarks "offensive to women." Nikole Killion reports.
cbsnews.com
"CBS Evening News" headlines for Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024
Here's a look at the top stories making headlines on the "CBS Evening News with Norah O'Donnell."
cbsnews.com
Sabrina Ionescu suffered a high-grade UCL tear in shooting hand in WNBA Finals
Sabrina Ionescu, the Liberty’s star guard, was playing through a high-grade UCL tear in her right shooting hand during Games 4 and 5 of the WNBA Finals. 
nypost.com
Authorities warn ballot box arson suspect could strike again
State and federal officials warned that the suspect behind ballot box arson attacks in Oregon and Washington could strike again. They also said they are still looking for a motive after hundreds of ballots were damaged or destroyed. CBS News homeland security and justice reporter Nicole Sganga has the latest.
cbsnews.com
Braelon Allen’s rookie contributions a Jets rarity in trying season
The most difficult part of Braelon Allen’s rookie season with the Jets is the same challenge that veterans are facing on the team — how poorly they have played. 
nypost.com
Trump camp says it’s on victory’s ‘verge’ five days before the election
Former President Donald Trump routinely declares he’s leading in the swing states “by a lot.” His top pollster is backing that up via data with just days to go before the election. Tony Fabrizio contends, “Trump’s position nationally and in every single Battleground State is SIGNIFICANTLY better today than it was 4 years ago,” saying...
nypost.com
LeBron James officially endorses Kamala Harris for president: ‘Choice is clear’
The Lakers superstar took to social media on Thursday evening to share his views.
nypost.com
Trump says "shame on you" to people who voted against him
Former President Donald Trump said "if you voted against me shame on you" at a New Mexico rally on Thursday after criticizing President Biden's "garbage" comment. CBS News political reporter Zak Hudak and CBS News national correspondent Kris Van Cleave follow the Trump campaign and Vice President Kamala Harris' pre-election moves.
cbsnews.com
Magnitude 2.9 earthquake registered in Los Angeles
A magnitude 2.9 earthquake was reported Thursday at 3:59 p.m. in Los Angeles, according to the U.S.
latimes.com
Iran’s Ayatollah orders retaliatory attack against Israel after IDF strike deemed too big to ignore: report
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has instructed his forces to prepare a direct attack against Israel after deeming the Jewish nation's retaliatory strike last week too big to ignore.
nypost.com
Trump takes all but one swing state thanks to strong black support: polls
Could the presidential election’s battleground states ultimately be as uncompetitive as the just-wrapped World Series? That’s the question prompted by a fresh slate of Atlas Intel swing-state surveys that shows Donald Trump on track for 287 electoral votes if the projections translate into reality Tuesday. And key to the former president’s performance in these polls...
nypost.com
In scramble to flip another district blue, Democrats hope Rep. Kiley is too MAGA for Sacramento suburbs
California Democrats are promoting Jessica Morse as they scramble to turn District 3 from red to blue in a bid for control of Congress.
latimes.com
College students in battleground states sound off on 2024 race
College voters could help swing the election in battleground states. Puck News partner Peter Hamby, who has been on a tour talking to students about how they view the 2024 presidential candidates, joins "America Decides" to share what he heard this week at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.
cbsnews.com
Stevie Nicks doesn't have many regrets, but waiting until 70 to vote is one of them
Stevie Nicks, who has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, admits she never voted until she was 70. 'I regret that.'
latimes.com
Karl-Anthony Towns dealing with sprained wrist in Knicks injury worry
Karl-Anthony’s breakthrough performance came with a price. 
nypost.com
Young Thug pleads guilty to gang, drug and gun charges in long and winding RICO trial
Young Thug's stop-and-go racketeering trial may soon be over after nearly a year and several twists. The Atlanta rapper just pleaded guilty to several charges.
latimes.com
Could Trump's garbage truck stunt appeal to undecided voters?
In Wisconsin on Wednesday night, former President Donald Trump got behind the wheel of a garbage truck "in honor of Kamala and Joe Biden." He seized on the president's remark where he appeared to call the Republican's supporters "garbage," something the White House has denied. Political strategists Joel Payne and Lance Trover join "America Decides" to assess if the stunt could move the needle for Trump's campaign.
cbsnews.com
Watch Live: New York City’s Halloween Parade 2024
Get a front-row seat to see New York City’s craziest creatures of the night with a live stream of the 51st Village Halloween Parade from lower Manhattan at 7pm ET. This year’s theme is “Meow!” with a focus on celebrating our feline friends.
nypost.com
The NFL’s Most Annoying Celebrity Is About to Make Himself Irrelevant
We may all soon finally be free of this man.
slate.com
Dodgers' Freddie Freeman was dealing with more than an ankle injury on way to World Series MVP
The Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman wasn't just dealing with a bad ankle sprain this postseason. He also had a rib injury that usually takes months to heal.
foxnews.com
Where the early vote stands 5 days from Election Day
More than 60 million voters have cast their ballots early this year. So what do we know about this big slice of the electorate who've already made their decision? Partisan polling experts Tom Bonier and John Couvillion join "America Decides" to examine what the early voter numbers say about the state of the 2024 race.
cbsnews.com
Josh Stein on the state of the North Carolina gubernatorial race
Roy Cooper's eight-year tenure as the governor of North Carolina comes to an end in two months. Josh Stein, the Democratic candidate running to fill his shoes who currently serves as the state's attorney general, joins "America Decides" to discuss how the race is shaping up five days from Election Day.
cbsnews.com
‘Teams are circling’ on Giannis Antetokounmpo amid Bucks’ slow start
A dreadful start to the season in Milwaukee already has the sharks circling in the water over the team’s superstar. 
nypost.com
'Here' takes the elements of a 'Gump' reunion and flattens them into faux-cosmic tedium
Tom Hanks and Robin Wright rejoin filmmaker Robert Zemeckis for a stunty, pointless drama about the passing of time captured from one fixed vantage point.
latimes.com
New Conservative Poll Shows Key Shift for Donald Trump
Trump has improved on his lead in Georgia, according to a new Rasmussen Reports survey.
newsweek.com
More than 60 million people have voted early in 2024 race so far
More than 60 million people have already voted in the 2024 presidential race. CBS News deputy director of elections and data analytics Kabir Khanna is tracking the mountain of ballots cast in the battleground states so far and what it could mean for the eventual outcome.
1 h
cbsnews.com
Harris seizes on Trump's pledge to protect women 'whether they like it or not'
Vice President Kamala Harris slammed Donald Trump on Thursday, saying the former president's pledge to protect women was "offensive to everybody."
1 h
abcnews.go.com
Roy quizzes DOJ on 'coordination' with left-wing groups over suits challenging states' voter roll purges
Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, is asking questions of the Department of Justice about what he says could be coordination with left-wing groups on lawsuits challenging voter roll purges.
1 h
foxnews.com
Trump facing backlash for remark about protecting women
Former President Donald Trump is facing criticism for a comment about women he made at a rally Wednesday night. "I'm going to do it whether the women like it or not. I'm going to protect them," Trump said. CBS News' Lilia Luciano and Nikole Killion have the latest on the backlash.
1 h
cbsnews.com
Anna Kendrick slams director for embarrassing her in front of 100 extras on set: ‘f–k you’
Kendrick called the incident a "very specific power move" on the director's part.
1 h
nypost.com
Woman Decides To Donate Toy Cat Ignored, Then Pet Throws a Curveball
The cat finally showed interest in the toy after months of not using it.
1 h
newsweek.com
Longtime sportscaster Bob Costas says presidential election is a question of morality, not politics
Sportscaster Bob Costas has often spoken about issues beyond the sports world, including politics. He argued the upcoming election is a question of morality, not politics.
1 h
foxnews.com
Harris calls on Arizona voters to pass abortion initiative — while misstating Trump’s positions
Vice President Kamala Harris urged Arizonans to turn out to vote for a measure reaffirming abortion access — and to support her while they’re at it — during a Thursday rally at which she again misstated former President Donald Trump’s policies on reproductive rights. “Arizona, to protect your right to make your own health care...
1 h
nypost.com
Yankees’ World Series failure started — and ended — with fundamental issues
When you are in charge of something and see redundant mistakes, you are either fixing them or condoning them — there is no middle ground at this level. 
1 h
nypost.com
Donald Trump Files Lawsuit Against CBS News: What We Know
Trump's lawsuit filed Thursday alleges that CBS News' 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris misled the public.
1 h
newsweek.com
Dodgers fan, 25, blows up hands with firework while celebrating World Series win over Yankees
Schadenfreude, Yankees fans?
1 h
nypost.com
Chart-topping rapper Young Thug accepts surprising plea deal in Georgia’s longest-ever criminal trial
Grammy Award-winning rapper Young Thug has agreed to take a plea deal amid the nearly year-long trial accusing him of being the ringleader of a Georgia gang, according to a report.
1 h
nypost.com