Is There a Vaccine for Bird Flu?

In the current bird flu outbreak, the virus has been detected in dairy cattle herds across nine states and infected at least one person. CDC health officials say two existing H5N1 candidate vaccine viruses are available for manufacturers if the bird flu virus spreads more easily to humans.

The CDC has developed a candidate vaccine virus nearly identical to the protein in the current strain. If needed, this could be used to produce a vaccine for humans. According to a preliminary analysis, the vaccine is expected to offer good protection against the current H5N1 strain.

Both vaccine candidates are in the government’s stockpile in limited quantities, and hundreds of thousands of prefilled syringes and vials are ready to ship.

There’s no word yet from health officials on the potential risks and side effects of the bird flu vaccine.

Is a Bird Flu Vaccine Necessary?

As of now, there’s no evidence that bird flu is spreading between people. “But if we started seeing transmission to humans, a vaccine could help,” said William Schaffner, MD, an infectious disease specialist and professor at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.

Having a vaccine ready to go ensures that public health officials are prepared just in case it’s needed, Schaffner added.

“A blueprint is on the shelf, ready to put into the manufacturer’s hands for them to start making doses if necessary—all that preliminary work has been done,” said John Sellick, DO, an infectious disease expert and professor of medicine at the University at Buffalo SUNY.

Sellick added that a vaccine isn’t usually produced before there’s a major health issue, but it’s “part of pandemic preparedness and thinking ahead.”

“If the virus develops the capacity to spread readily from person to person, the general consensus is that we’re in for another pandemic,” Sellick said. “Vaccination is the foundation of the response, putting it into as many arms as possible to prevent hospitalizations and deaths.”

Who Would Need a Bird Flu Vaccine?

The biggest concern about bird flu now is in dairy farm workers, who are at the highest risk of exposure. “But you could also make the argument that people who work on poultry farms could potentially get into trouble as well,” he said.

Sellick added that people who work in the manufacturing of dairy and poultry products may need a vaccine, too.

However, a lot of unknowns remain with the development of bird flu and a vaccine. “This is like COVID all over again,” Sellick said. “The virus will tell us what’s happening.”

Sellick noted that bird flu hasn’t been able to spread readily in humans. “There’s nothing we can do except to continue to do surveillance and be ready, just in case,” he said.