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Biden Finally Addresses Crisis, A Whole YEAR Later

Biden Finally Addresses Crisis, A Whole YEAR Later

The White House‘s proposed plan to roll out a mass bird flu vaccine for America‘s chickens is concerning to many. The plan, which is being considered in light of the record-breaking outbreak of the H5N1 strain of bird flu, would target around 10 billion chickens in the US alone.

The USDA has not revealed details about the shots they would use in testing, though there are a few in development. However, Republican leaders are worried that this vaccine rollout could open the door to potential problems.

The first concern is that the vaccine may only prevent birds from experiencing infection symptoms, but not transmission of the virus itself. This could make it even harder for farmers to identify affected flocks, leading to the virus spreading undetected and causing more harm to the poultry population.

On top of that, the vaccine rollout could also lead to restrictions on the import and export of birds based on their jab status. This could lead to economic harm to the poultry industry and those who rely on it.

Plus, many are skeptical of the effectiveness of the current vaccine options. The existing shot for fowlpox is one example, which many domesticated fowl already receive. It’s unclear, however, whether that shot would be effective against the circulating H5N1 strain.

The same goes for the shots administered to birds in China, Egypt, Mongolia, and Vietnam, which are areas where strains of the virus are endemic in the poultry population.

Another major concern is that if the virus acquires dangerous mutations while infection rates are sky-high, it could jump to humans. Already, the virus has been detected in other mammals such as minks, sea lions, and foxes.

As of now, the World Health Organization (WHO) has deemed the risk of bird flu to humans as low. But, Republicans are wary of the potential consequences if the virus were to jump to humans.

Though controlling chicken and egg prices is important to officials, the main goal of the White House’s plan should be to prevent the virus from spreading and jumping to humans. As such, Republicans are asking that the White House consider the potential risks of their vaccine rollout before implementing it.

Written by J. Lynne - March 7, 2023