USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) has started vaccine trials in poultry to combat highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), or bird flu. The agency is testing four bird flu vaccines—one from Zoetis, one from Merck Animal Health, and two developed by the agency itself—to be used in poultry after the CDC reports that more than 58 million birds have died or been depopulated in the current outbreak.
Initial data from an animal study with a single dose of the vaccine is expected to be available in May 2023, and researchers expect to have two-dose vaccine challenge study results in June 2023.
Should the trials be successful, the next step is to identify manufacturers interested in vaccine production. Once one or more manufacturers are identified, there are 20 discrete stages to complete before vaccine delivery. These stages begin with feasibility work by the manufacturer and culminates with product label submission and review. General timeframes are two-and-a-half to three years; however, in emergency situations manufacturers may expedite development.
From vaccine development to production timelines, to dissemination to flocks, there are many factors that make implementing a vaccine strategy a challenge, and it would take time to deliver effective bird flu vaccines. In a best-case scenario, USDA estimates an 18-to-24-month timeline before having a vaccine that matches the currently circulating virus strain, is available in commercial quantities, and can be easily administered to commercial poultry.
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