Australia will begin rolling out bird flu vaccines in the coming days and weeks, with vulnerable native birds and captive species set to receive protection first as the country battles the spread of the deadly H5N1 strain.
The Federal Government announced on Tuesday that it has secured around A$2 million (US$1.4 million) worth of vaccines, equivalent to approximately 1,500 vials. State and territory authorities will oversee the distribution and vaccination programme.
Australia recorded its first case of H5N1 in June, becoming the last continent to report the highly contagious strain. Since then, more than 230 cases have been confirmed across the country.
The situation escalated last week when around 50 greater crested terns were found dead from bird flu on an island off South Australia, marking Australia’s first reported mass bird mortality linked to the disease.
Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said the vaccination programme would not stop the overall spread of the outbreak but would instead focus on protecting species considered particularly vulnerable to the virus.
“The first vaccines are expected to roll out in coming days and weeks based on an agreed national approach to the targeted vaccination of priority native bird species,” she said.
Collins said the risk to humans remained low and there was currently no evidence that the outbreak had affected Australia’s poultry or agricultural industries.
However, she warned Australians to expect the number of cases and bird deaths to increase as the virus continues spreading among wild bird populations.
Environment Minister Murray Watt said each bird would require two doses of the vaccine, describing the outbreak as a serious event.
Earlier this month, the Australian Government released a risk assessment covering more than 2,000 native bird and mammal species, examining their vulnerability and susceptibility to bird flu.
The assessment found that several species could potentially face extinction, while hundreds more could experience severe population declines if the disease continues to spread.
