In a recent interview on Fox News the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F Kennedy Jr. expressed his opposition to deploying vaccine against HPAI. Citing the absence of proof of ‘sterilizing immunity’ in the event of vaccination, he claimed without scientific evidence and in defiance of logic, that immunized flocks could become ‘mutation factories’.
The antipathy of the Secretary towards vaccines is well established and his disdain of science and established epidemiology is a matter of record. Unfortunately he has an extensive following and currently exercises influence within the Administration by virtue of his position.
No vaccine can offer ‘sterilizing immunity’ but effective vaccines can raise the level of population immunity to above the disease threshold. We eliminated clinical poliomyelitis and measles decades ago but now risk of the return of these and other infections is evident through the sophistry of charlatans such as the Secretary and his acolytes.
Maintaining large populations of susceptible commercial laying hens that become infected from migratory waterfowl by the aerogenous route will lead to massive proliferation of H5 influenza virus thereby increasing the probability of mutations. Then inserting workers with incomplete PPE protection to depopulate flocks only adds to risk. Gene sequencing has demonstrated mutations in H5N1 in isolates from workers. The emergence of bovine influenza H5N1 type B3.13 and mass mortality in marine mammals confirming contagion, demonstrates the ability of the virus to undergo mutation. At the end of the day it’s a numbers game. By creating highly immunized flocks we will reduce the risk of emergence of zoonotic strains. Admittedly vaccination will result in some genetic drift as in all immunized human and livestock populations but this will be manageable and infinitely preferable to the current situation of ongoing flock depopulation with risk of mutations.
The Secretary is apparently oblivious to the low risk of an emerging zoonotic strain of H5N1 with contagion but is equally unconcerned over the catastrophic economic and human consequences of a pandemic. What will his response be? Mass administration of cod liver oil as ifor the expanding measles epidemic?