Push for National Bird Flu Vaccine Program as USDA Points to Falling Egg Prices After Gains in Biosecurity Containment

Publicity about avian influenza (H5N1) infecting chickens, turkeys and cows in the United States1 and globally has been widespread for several years as fears about the possibility of bird flu epidemics among humans have led to calls for acceleration of development and use of animal and human bird flu vaccines.2 3 4 5 In February […]
Government Cancels $700 Million in Funding for Moderna’s Bird Flu Biologic

The U.S. government has cancelled a contract worth over $700 million awarded to Moderna, Inc. for late-stage development of an mRNA bird flu biologic for humans, as well as the right to purchase the shots. Earlier this year, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) issued the […]
DHHS Secretary RFK, Jr. and USDA Secretary Both Say “No” to Bird Flu Vaccine for Chickens

Opinion | Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr announced on Mar. 4, 2025 that the avian influenza (“bird flu”) vaccine should not be given to chickens in the U.S. based on emerging evidence that injecting poultry with avian influenza virus (AIV) vaccine could lead to mutations accelerating evolution of the animal […]
USDA Gives Conditional License for Bird Flu Vaccine Given to Chickens

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a conditional license approval for an inactivated avian flu (bird flu) vaccine to be administered to chickens eaten by Americans. The license is being granted due to H5N1 influenza virus infections spreading in U.S. poultry. The United States has avoided giving H5N1 vaccine to until now. The […]
What’s Really Happening With Mpox

The World Health Organization (WHO) acted as expected earlier this month and declared Mpox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). So, a problem in a small number of African countries that has killed about the same number of people this year as die every four hours from tuberculosis has come to dominate international […]
Scientists Testing Bird Flu Vaccine

A third human case [of bird flu] has been reported in the U.S.—another farm worker in Michigan. While officials say the risk to the general public remains low, work on vaccines is already underway. Tonight, scientists are ramping up vaccine testing to prevent bird flu transmission between cows and people, as the CDC confirms a […]