13 Aug 2025
Vaccination could play a role as part of a broader strategy against AI
Regions and countries should be encouraged to adopt, and mutually recognize, zoning and compartmentalization which support trade.
China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Egypt, France and Mexico have been practicing vaccination against avian influenza (AI) while parts of the world continue to debate it.
In a report from the International Poultry Forum China, Nicolò Cinotti, Secretary General of the International Poultry Council (IPC) noted that the debate around whether to vaccinate is highly complex.
A properly designed vaccination plan faces several challenges, he said, few of which are intrinsically linked to the vaccine itself.
The IPC’s position, he noted, is that vaccination could play a role as part of a broader strategy against AI, which would include biosecurity, flock health management and surveillance to control viral spread and contribute to controlling the virus in domestic poultry.
However, he continued, new tools and interventions, such as vaccines, must not have an adverse impact on the trade in genetic stock, hatching eggs, day old chicks, poultry meat and eggs, and their related products.
“State-of-the-art vaccine strategies for AI applied under veterinary authority control must allow for virus detection, as well as be able to differentiate vaccinated from infected birds,” said Mr Cinotti.
He added that regions and countries should be encouraged to adopt, and mutually recognize, zoning and compartmentalization which support trade.
Additionally, there needs to be greater recognition that animal care, health, welfare and reducing animal protein waste are critical goals for poultry meat and egg producers globally, and contribute to sustainable global food security, which is part of global health security.
