In anticipation of a reoccurrence of avian influenza during fall months, the Ministry of Agriculture of France is preparing for an intensive vaccination program.  Administration of approved vaccines will be necessary for all commercial duck farms throughout continental France.  Vaccination will be voluntary for duck breeders exporting ducklings or hatching eggs.

The government will pay 85 percent of the cost of vaccination.

Administration of  approved and effective vaccines will be an adjunct to existing biosecurity measures and will be monitored to determine their contribution to suppressing outbreaks. Initially vaccines were imported from Germany apparently based on price. Subsequently locally produced CEVA vaccines will be used.

France becomes the fifteenth nation to apply vaccination. The decision of the Ministry was based on recurring outbreaks especially in the highly concentrated areas of duck production using non-confined production systems.