Australia Deploys 1,500 H5N1 Vaccine Vials as Bird Flu Cases Top 230

3 articles · Updated · BBC.com · Aug 11

AU$2 million worth of H5N1 vaccines—about 1,500 vials—will begin rolling out in coming days and weeks, with vulnerable native species and captive birds first in line.
More than 230 cases have been confirmed since Australia detected its first H5N1 case in June, and officials say vaccination cannot stop spread among wild birds but can protect priority species most at risk.
About 50 greater crested terns died in South Australia's first mass mortality event last week, underscoring warnings that Australians should expect more dead birds and larger outbreaks nationwide.
Each bird will need two doses, and a recent government risk assessment found a handful of more than 2,000 native bird and mammal species could face extinction while hundreds more risk severe population declines.
Officials said the risk to humans remains low and there is no evidence so far of impacts on poultry or the broader agriculture sector.