The USDA will begin rebuilding its bird flu vaccine stockpile to make it match the current strain of the virus running through commercial flocks and wild birds. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the outbreak started in 2022 and has killed over 130 million birds, affecting commercial, backyard, and wild birds in all 50 states.
In a press release, USDA says the U.S. had built poultry vaccine stocks after the last major outbreak in 2014-2015. Bird flu is also affecting U.S. dairy cattle herds and infected almost 70 people. Most of the exposed humans are farm workers who’ve been directly exposed to sick cattle or poultry. There has been one reported case of bird flu which has resulted in a human death in the U.S.
Egg and turkey farm groups have been calling for a vaccine, citing the severe economic toll it has taken on farmers after wiping out their flocks.
In December, USDA reported infected dairy herds in California and Texas.