USDA says not yet for US avian flu vaccination

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on June 3, 2015, that it is not going to approve use of avian influenza vaccines for use in the current H5N2 outbreak that the U.S. poultry industry is struggling to eradicate. In a statement, USDA said:  “The Department evaluated the efficacy of current vaccine options for HPAI in addition to economic impacts of vaccination and has determined that, as it currently stands, additional criteria must be met before a vaccine can be approved for emergency use. Vaccines currently available are not well matched and do not meet a suitable level of efficacy. USDA also wants to be sure that the vaccine industry is in a position to produce enough doses to create an effective control measure. Finally, additional outreach with trading partners will be required to avoid significant market disruptions.”  Read More