The United States Restocks New Avian Flu Vaccine for Poultry
Professor Dr. Salah Mahdi Hassan / Poultry Health and Production Consultant and Expert
Since avian influenza was first confirmed in a turkey flock in Indiana in February 2022, the virus has killed 133 million birds in the U.S. poultry industry, and the virus shows no signs of abating. In December 2024, 102 poultry flocks confirmed the presence of avian influenza, affecting nearly 11 million birds.
Last year, authorities in Wisconsin confirmed that 73,169 birds in three commercial poultry flocks and one backyard flock had been culled due to infection with the avian influenza virus. A recent outbreak in 2025 in a turkey flock in the city of Barron killed 18,565 birds. These numbers may seem small compared to the losses suffered by large poultry flocks, but they represent a devastating blow to small business owners in the United States.
In response to the ongoing spread of the virus, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on January 9, 2025, that the United States will restock avian influenza vaccines for poultry that match the strain of the virus circulating in commercial flocks and wild birds. The announcement is the latest step by the department in combating the spread of the virus, which, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has already killed 133 million birds in the poultry industry across the United States since 2022. The deaths of millions of laying hens have sent wholesale egg prices to record highs by the end of 2024.
The avian influenza virus has also affected the U.S. dairy industry. Avian influenza was first confirmed in dairy flocks in Texas in March 2024. Since then, the virus has been confirmed in 919 dairy flocks in 16 states. In addition, it has infected nearly 70 people in 10 states, most of them field workers who were exposed to infected poultry or cows. It is worth noting that the United States announced on 1/7/2025 the first human death related to bird flu. The United States previously stockpiled avian influenza vaccines for poultry for subtypes H5N1, H5N3, and H5N9 after major outbreaks of avian influenza in 2014 and 2015, but those vaccines were never used because the USDA was cautious about widespread use of the vaccine due to potential commercial complications. Consequently, vaccine stockpiles were expiring without being used due to low demand. In a statement dated 9/1/2025, the department stated: “USDA believes it is prudent to seek new vaccine stocks that are compatible with the currently circulating strains of the virus.”
Laying chicken and turkey farmers have called for the possibility of using avian influenza vaccines, due to the large economic losses they have suffered as a result of the devastating avian influenza infections, including deaths and killing of their flocks. However, the department explained that such use will not be possible in the short term, due in part to commercial risks, as many countries ban the import of vaccinated poultry due to Concerns that the vaccine may mask the presence of the virus.
David Suarez, a world-renowned researcher of poultry viruses, especially Newcastle and avian influenza, who previously directed the USDA’s Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory in Athens, Georgia, noted in 2023 that the vaccines USDA purchased in the wake of previous avian influenza outbreaks were developed by Merck & Co. and Ceva, and one was manufactured by U.S. government researchers. “All of the vaccines they purchased were expired, and they got rid of them,” he said.
New or currently licensed vaccines are being updated to match the current strain and evaluated for use in other animals, depending on the manufacturer’s interests. While USDA plans to move forward with a contract to begin building a stockpile, USDA has more steps to take before vaccination can be implemented.
In light of these concerns, the U.S. government has decided to create a new stockpile of avian influenza vaccines. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are collaborating on this initiative. The goal is to ensure that there is sufficient vaccine supply available to respond quickly to any future outbreak of avian influenza. The new stockpile will include millions of doses of vaccines specifically designed to protect against the H5N1 strain. These vaccines will be stored in strategic locations across the country, allowing for rapid deployment in the event of an outbreak. The stockpile will also be regularly updated to ensure that the vaccines remain effective against any new strains of the virus that may emerge.
Establishing a vaccine stockpile is an important step forward, but there are several challenges that must be addressed. One key concern is the logistics of distributing vaccines quickly and efficiently during an outbreak. This requires careful planning and coordination between federal, state and local authorities. Another challenge is ensuring that vaccines are available to all populations, including those in rural areas and those far from municipal services.
The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) notes in its policy brief on poultry vaccinations that the spread of avian influenza has had a “devastating impact” on poultry and wild birds and threatens “livelihoods, food security and public health.” This prompted leaders from the Egg Producers Association, the International Dairy Foods Association, the National Dairy Producers Association, and the National Turkey Foundation to write to the USDA Secretary to urge the Department and its federal partners to support the development of an effective vaccine for cattle, turkeys, and laying hens to help stop the spread of the virus. “As the H5Nx outbreak continues, it is clear that a new approach is needed,” the poultry producers wrote in their letter to the USDA. “This includes the availability of effective animal vaccines against current and future strains of H5Nx, which are essential for a sustainable food supply as well as human and animal health.” Consumers have also felt the impact of the outbreak on the poultry industry, with egg prices at grocery stores rising dramatically.
WOAH says “stricter biosecurity measures and mass slaughter of poultry may not be enough to control the disease” and that some countries, such as China, routinely vaccinate poultry against avian influenza. The USDA says many countries are reluctant to vaccinate poultry for fear that other countries will impose trade restrictions. USDA officials say using a vaccine that matches the current strain in dairy cows is more feasible and more likely to be successful in stopping or limiting the spread of the virus. To facilitate the rapid development of vaccines for cows, the USDA has standardized several steps in the vaccine review process. So far, at least seven candidate vaccines have been approved for field safety trials for a vaccine designed to protect dairy cows from H5N1. The department said these steps are important to ensure that the vaccines developed are safe and effective against the target virus, and do not lead to shedding of the virus.
Fifteen states have been added to the National Raw Milk Testing Program, which provides comprehensive surveillance for H5N1 in the nation’s milk and dairy herds. The new federal order, issued in December 2024, requires raw (unpasteurized) milk samples to be collected nationwide for testing for avian influenza.
In just one month, 28 states, representing 65 percent of U.S. milk production, had enrolled in the program. As of January 8, 2025, the USDA had identified infected herds in just two states, California and Texas.
“Across the country, a robust network of public and private sector veterinarians, state and local agriculture and health officials, are working with USDA to make the National Milk Testing Strategy the most powerful weapon possible in our community’s fight against H5N1, ensuring that farmers have the information and tools they need to protect their businesses, their families, their workers, and their communities from this virus,” the USDA said in a statement. Conclusion of the article: The presentation is a review of an attempt by the US Department of Agriculture to address the harmful effects of bird flu infections with the H5N1 pandemic virus in poultry and cattle, as well as providing community protection for the health of society, given that the current virus is capable of infecting humans and has the potential to be fatal to humans?? Therefore, today the effort to address the risks of bird flu with the H5N1 pandemic is a national duty that must involve everyone, whether veterinarians, whether government or private. The other matter is that there must be synergistic efforts between the federal veterinary authorities and the veterinary authorities in the region or in the governorates that do not belong to the region, and not as we notice today, unfortunately, with the divergence of procedures between the center and the region, which was confirmed by the statement of the Ministry of Agriculture today, 2/2/2025, by continuing to prevent the passage of poultry and its products from the region to other Iraqi governorates??? As if there are viral infections of bird flu H5N1 in the region that are not announced, and what is surprising is the complete silence by Veterinary authorities in the region on the allegations of the center??? Therefore, the current situation must be corrected in the service of the profession and respected by the center and the region alike, and in the service of society and the direction to perform the tasks assigned to preserve the Iraqi poultry industry and maintain the health of the whole.
