Small group of turkeys to receive bird flu vaccines as UK trial begins

A group of turkeys will receive bird flu vaccines as the UK’s first trial gets under way.

Starting on Thursday, vets will give birds the latest highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) vaccines to explore their potential to help control the disease.

While vaccinating poultry against bird flu is not generally allowed in the UK, the 24-week trial will go ahead under strict supervision following approval from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) regulator, using UK and EU-authorised vaccines.

Turkeys have been selected because of their high susceptibility and mortality rates during outbreaks.

The research will test the vaccines’ efficacy as an additional tool to fight bird flu, on top of existing biosecurity measures, as well as how surveillance can be managed to retain trade.

It comes after recent outbreaks across the UK and Europe reached an unprecedented scale, devastating populations of both captive and wild birds.

Forced to carry out widespread culls, bird keepers and the poultry sector have also suffered financial losses and emotional stress.

Officials say annual outbreaks cost the Government and industry up to £174 million each year.

Biosecurity minister Baroness Hayman said: “We know what a terrible toll this disease has annually on our farmers and poultry sector.

“The start of new vaccine trials are a significant step forward in our fight against this disease and will contribute to global research efforts.

“We are hopeful vaccines can be used in the UK as an additional tool to control bird flu to protect the UK’s biosecurity and food supply.”

The trial will explore how bird flu vaccines might be integrated into the UK’s disease control strategy, generate data on vaccine efficacy and contribute to the growing international body of research on HPAI vaccination.

Several other countries are considering the potential for HPAI vaccines to help tackle bird flu, with trials currently taking place in Italy and the Netherlands.

UK chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss said: “This targeted trial is going to be really key for our understanding of how HPAI vaccines can be effectively used for disease control in the UK.

“Stringent biosecurity will always remain our best defence and urge all bird keepers to continue to take the steps needed to prevent avian influenza spreading onto their premises.”

Findings from the trial will provide insight into the final recommendations for the UK HPAI vaccination taskforce, which published a report in July that recommended a domestic field vaccination trial in turkeys.