MW Here's why the U.S. is not working to vaccinate birds against avian flu

By Ciara Linnane

More than 160 million birds have been culled during the current outbreak

More than 160 million wild and domesticated birds have been culled in the U.S. after testing positive for avian flu in the past few years. So why is the country not rushing to vaccinate flocks to stop the spread of the outbreak?

The nation's major trading partners do not import vaccinated birds, which creates a challenge for farmers who raise chickens for meat, as opposed to those who raise egg-laying hens.

Industry groups representing the two types of farmers are at loggerheads over the topic. The broiler industry, as the meat producers are known, is lobbying against vaccination, while egg producers are clamoring for biosecurity measures. The two groups' members are subject to the same trade rules, even though they operate as separate industries.

The broiler industry is far bigger than the egg-producing industry. Broiler exports totaled $4.7 billion in 2024 and accounted for 3.25 million metric tons of exports, according to a report from the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council.

Cal-Maine, the nation's biggest egg producer, had total sales of $2.3 billion in 2024, with 1.1 billion eggs sold.

Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture granted a conditional license to animal-health company Zoetis Inc. (ZTS) for its bird-flu vaccine for use in chickens. A conditional license is used in an emergency situation or under special circumstances for a finite period.

But the move falls far short of a full vaccine approval and does not mean that farmers have access to the shots or that they are commercially available.

On Wednesday, the USDA announced plans to invest up to $1 billion to combat bird flu and bring down egg prices. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said that number is on top of funding already being provided to indemnify farmers for culled flocks.

That money includes $500 million for biosecurity measures, $400 million in financial relief for farmers and $100 million for vaccine research and action to reduce regulatory burdens and explore temporary import options for eggs.

"American farmers need relief, and American consumers need affordable food. To every family struggling to buy eggs: We hear you, we're fighting for you, and help is on the way," Rollins said in a statement.

The USDA will work with trade partners to seek to limit impacts to export markets from potential vaccination, she added, without specifying details.

The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that some 166.1 million birds have been culled in the current outbreak as of Tuesday, including chickens, turkeys, ducks and wild birds.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5) viruses were detected in U.S. wild aquatic birds, commercial poultry and backyard or hobbyist flocks beginning in January 2022, according to the CDC. Those were the first detections in the U.S. since an outbreak in 2016.

There are 51 U.S. jurisdictions with bird flu in wild birds and outbreaks in poultry. As of Feb. 21, 983 dairy herds have also been affected, with outbreaks in cows in 16 states.

A total of 64 human cases have been recorded through surveillance since March 24, 2024. One person, an individual in Louisiana who was hospitalized with a severe infection in January, has died.

For more, read: Moderna's stock stumbles on report HHS is reviewing $590 million award for bird-flu vaccine

The CDC continues to assess the risk to public health as low, and there has been no known person-to-person transmission.

-Ciara Linnane

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February 27, 2025 13:48 ET (18:48 GMT)

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