Could cow vaccines help halt the spread of bird flu in U.S. herds? Experts are divided

STAT July 29, 2024
Helen Branswell

With the number of U.S. dairy herds infected with H5N1 bird flu rising almost daily, fears are growing that the dangerous virus cannot be driven out of this species. That belief is amplifying calls for the development of flu shots for cows.

Multiple animal vaccine manufacturers are reportedly at work trying to develop such products. And the U.S. Department of Agriculture is eagerly encouraging the effort, detailing in a notice last week what kinds of evidence would be needed to win licensing approval for cow vaccines.

But a number of scientists question whether investing too heavily in this strategy is a wise approach at this point, given that there remain many outstanding questions about whether vaccinating cows would be an...

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