The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has granted the Zoetis a conditional license for its vaccine product, Avian Influenza Vaccine, H5N1 Subtype, Killed Virus. The vaccine is intended for use in chickens as an aid in the prevention of disease caused by H5N1 avian influenza.
The license at this point is only conditional, and efficacy and potency studies are in progress.
“We stand ready to help our customers implement a vaccination strategy, should the USDA determine that is the best course of action for the industry,” said Jon Schaeffer, DVM, director of U.S. Poultry Veterinary Services at Zoetis. “In the meantime, we will continue to support the USDA and our customers in helping prevent future avian influenza outbreaks.”
An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) during the spring and summer of 2015 was the largest animal health emergency in the country’s history, according to USDA. More than 49 million birds have died, with HPAI detected in migratory birds as well as commercial and backyard flocks in 21 states, as a result of last year’s outbreak.
The conditional license was granted on the demonstration of a reasonable expectation of efficacy based on serology data.
Zoetis will pursue the current opportunity to supply vaccines to the USDA’s National Veterinary Stockpile.
Presently, two avian influenza vaccine products have been approved for the stockpile. Those vaccines are Ceva’s Vectormune AI and Harrisvaccines’ Avian Influenza Vaccine, RNA.
