US closer to identifying bird flu vaccine, Vilsack says

The U.S. is “probably 18 months or so” away from identifying a vaccine for the current strain of bird flu that has ravaged commercial poultry operations over the past two years, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said at a congressional hearing last week.

Since 2022, close to 82 million birds have been killed as a result of the H5N1 strain of the highly pathogenic avian influenza, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Over 2.2 million cases have been identified in commercial or backyard flocks since the start of the year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported.

While the USDA is getting closer to a potential vaccine, the agency is “nowhere near” ready to address complicated questions around distribution rollout and potential trade complications, Vilsack told Congress.

“You’re talking 12 to 18 months just to get the vaccine for this particular type,” Vilsack said. “We still have work to be done on how to actually administer it.”

Like other countries, the U.S. bans the import of vaccinated birds out of concern that it could further the spread of avian influenza. Part of the problem for the industry, Vilsack said, is that it’s difficult to determine whether a bird was vaccinated or infected.

“We would have a circumstance where if we vaccinated today, I think we would have a number of our trading partners saying we’re not interested in your chickens,” he said.

Despite some concerns from the poultry industry, global momentum is building for a vaccine — especially as the virus spreads to wild bird species, other mammals and, in rare cases, humans. The World Organization for Animal Health has encouraged countries to identify a vaccine, saying in December that it should not become “an unnecessary barrier to safe trade.”

France, which has been especially hard-hit by the virus, began a mandatory vaccination campaign last October, sparking trade restrictions from the U.S. and elsewhere. The vaccine limits the spread of avian influenza, yet does not entirely protect birds. In January, Reuters reported the country saw its first case of bird flu on a vaccinated farm.