The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has granted a conditional license to a vaccine designed to protect chickens from bird flu, in an effort to contain the outbreak that is driving up egg prices. The vaccine was developed by Zoetis and received approval last week after meeting safety and efficacy standards.
The move comes amid a surge in bird flu cases, with over 159 million birds infected since 2022 and over 23 million new cases detected in the past 30 days. To combat this, the USDA is shifting its strategy from culling infected flocks to vaccination. This decision signals a potential shift away from relying on culling and towards using vaccines to control outbreaks.
The approval of the vaccine comes as the nation’s egg-laying hen population has fallen by 2% and egg production has dropped by 3%. As a result, egg prices have skyrocketed, with prices rising 15.2% month-over-month in January and reaching $4.95 for a dozen large, grade A eggs – a jump of over 96% from last year’s price of $2.52.
Zoetis has developed bird flu vaccines before, including one used to protect California condors. However, the company emphasizes that the decision to vaccinate commercial poultry is ultimately up to US regulators and will be made in consultation with industry experts.
Source: https://qz.com/bird-flu-vaccine-poultry-zoetis-1851765172