Following the decision by the government of France to initiate a vaccination program to limit seasonal outbreaks of HPAI in regions previously impacted by the disease the European Food Safety Agency issued a statement encouraging wider use of this strategy.

In a scientific opinion published by the EFSA, the Agency maintains, “Preventive vaccination is the optimal strategy to minimize the number of outbreaks and duration of epidemics and should be conducted in the most susceptible and infectious poultry species in high-risk transmission areas.” 

The EFSA endorsed longstanding recommendations by the World Organization of Animal Health to impose protective areas and implement surveillance.  The EFSA correctly advises that flocks within a two-mile radius of an outbreak should be immunized.  Current vaccines allow for differentiation between vaccinated and infected flocks. In any event, PCR assays can disclose the presence of virus and establish the disease status of a flock.  The EFSA correctly notes that vaccination is a complement to existing preventive and control modalities and stresses the need for high levels of biosecurity, surveillance, early detection and depletion of infected flocks as part of an integrated program of disease prevention and control.