US Farmers Advocate for Vaccine Option to Combat Bird Flu Amid Wildfowl Migration

By Leah Douglas and Tom Polansek

U.S. farmers are intensifying their calls for the Biden administration to allow vaccinations for chickens, turkeys, and cows to shield them from bird flu, which has devastated livestock populations for the past three years.

This fall, the U.S. poultry industry, valued at $67 billion, faces an unprecedented dual threat from both dairy operations and migrating birds that can spread the disease.

Bird flu is deadly to poultry and can diminish milk production in dairy cows, with more than 100 million chickens and turkeys lost since 2022 in the largest outbreak in U.S. history.

Marcus Rust, CEO of Rose Acre Farms, the second-largest egg producer in the country, urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to permit vaccinations. The company has suffered substantial losses due to outbreaks and is relocating its Indiana breeding facility, which is near a wildlife refuge frequented by migratory ducks.

"We’re farmers. We want our animals to live," Rust stated.

The virus has now reached cattle in 14 states, and this year, infections have been reported among 13 workers on dairy and poultry farms, causing concern among scientists and federal officials about the potential risks to human health as the virus spreads further.

In an August letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, leading groups in the egg, turkey, and dairy sectors argued that the economic impact of the outbreak warrants the deployment of a vaccine. Additionally, federal lawmakers have urged the USDA to expedite vaccine research and develop new strategies to assist farmers in mitigating outbreaks.

"It is clear that the current outbreak shows no signs of abating," stated a dozen members of Congress in a separate letter to Vilsack, led by Representatives Randy Feenstra and Jim Costa.

A USDA spokesperson mentioned that the agency is actively working with state and federal partners and researchers to safeguard livestock, farmers, and farm workers while exploring vaccination options for animals.

Nonetheless, Vilsack highlighted in a previously undisclosed letter to Congress that implementing a vaccination campaign would face several challenges, including potential export barriers. Many countries prohibit the import of vaccinated poultry due to concerns that the vaccine could obscure signs of the virus.

"Widespread vaccination of commercial poultry is not feasible in the short term," Vilsack noted in the letter, which was disclosed by the animal welfare group Farm Forward.

A growing number of nations are beginning to embrace vaccinations once considered taboo. For instance, France started vaccinating ducks against bird flu last year, and New Zealand is testing a vaccine on five species of wild birds despite having no recorded cases of the disease.

Last year, the U.S. authorized the emergency use of a bird flu vaccine to protect the endangered California condor, with 94 condors vaccinated and no subsequent bird flu deaths recorded.

USDA data indicates that bird flu has resulted in the loss of 17 million egg-laying hens between April and July. Retail egg prices surged above $3.20 per dozen by August, reaching a high not seen in 16 months.

The egg industry must boost supply to lower prices, but the ongoing migratory season adds uncertainty. Experts indicate that this migration season, which lasts until December, has already begun, with waterfowl moving south from northern states like Minnesota. Certain species, like the Blue-winged Teal, can travel all the way to South America.

Brazil, the leading chicken exporter globally, has also expressed concerns about increased wild bird cases due to these migrations.

While migratory birds can carry the virus without showing signs, there are indications that fewer wild birds are becoming infected, likely due to developing immunity over time. "There is reason to have hope," Ramey commented.