Zoetis Inc. on Wednesday announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has granted the company a conditional license for 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 avian influenza H5N1.
“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 USDA and our customers in helping prevent future avian influenza outbreaks.”
The conditional license was granted on the demonstration of a reasonable expectation of efficacy based on serology data. Efficacy and potency studies are in progress. Zoetis will pursue the current opportunity to supply vaccines to the USDA’s National Veterinary Stockpile.
An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) during the spring and summer of 2015 was the largest animal health emergency in the U.S. history, according to USDA. More than 49 million birds 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.
