The Dutch government announced on Tuesday that bird flu vaccines for laying hens have proven effective in practical use, and plans are underway to vaccinate poultry against the virus.
Bird flu, or highly pathogenic avian influenza, has led to the deaths or culling of hundreds of millions of poultry worldwide in recent years, particularly impacting laying hens and driving up egg prices in several countries.
Early last year, research from Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (WBVR) indicated that two vaccines—developed by France’s Ceva Animal Health and Germany’s Boehringer Ingelheim—were effective against bird flu in laboratory settings. However, their effectiveness had not been tested on farms until recently.
“In September 2023, 1,800 day-old chicks were vaccinated against bird flu. The results show that the two tested vaccines are effective against infection with the virus eight weeks after vaccination,” the Dutch agriculture ministry stated.
“This practical effectiveness is a significant step towards the large-scale vaccination of poultry against bird flu,” the ministry added.
Concerns about bird flu have escalated as the virus increasingly infects mammals, including dairy cows in the United States, raising fears about potential human transmission through milk supplies.
The vaccine trials were conducted at two laying farms by Wageningen University & Research (WUR), Royal GD (Animal Health Service), and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Utrecht University, according to the ministry.
Additional transmission trials will be conducted over the next 18 months to evaluate the vaccines’ effectiveness throughout the entire laying period, the Dutch ministry said.
Last week, Australia reported its first case of avian influenza in a child who had contracted the virus in India, alongside the detection of a different highly infectious strain at an egg farm.
“The government aims to implement large-scale vaccination responsibly, considering animal and public health, as well as animal welfare, while minimizing any adverse effects on trade. This is why a step-by-step approach has been adopted,” the ministry concluded.
