France Plans to Launch Bird Flu Vaccination Program

The French Ministry of Agriculture has announced its intention to launch a vaccination program for the prevention of bird flu next fall, following a series of trials on vaccinating ducks that demonstrated "effectiveness against the disease." The Ministry stated on its website: "These positive results have provided sufficient assurances for the launch of a vaccination campaign soon, possibly in fall 2023." France ordered 80 million vaccine doses last month, but the order is pending confirmation based on final tests to be conducted by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES). Governments, which had typically avoided using vaccines in poultry farms due to potential trade restrictions, are increasingly considering their use to curb the spread of the virus and prevent transmission among humans. France is one of the most affected countries in the European Union and is experiencing a strong resurgence of outbreaks since the beginning of this month in the southwest of the country, particularly among ducks. A highly contagious strain of bird flu has swept through poultry farms around the world, leading to the culling of 200 million birds over the past 18 months.