US senators push USDA for urgent action on bird flu vaccine [View all]

Source: Reuters

December 11, 2025 6:07 AM EST Updated 3 hours ago


WASHINGTON, Dec 11 (Reuters) - A bipartisan group of U.S. senators this week urged the administration of President Donald Trump to finalize a science-based plan for developing a bird flu vaccine for livestock, according to a letter seen by Reuters.

More than 180 million chickens, turkeys and other poultry have been killed due to an outbreak of bird flu that began in 2022. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said in June that it was developing a potential poultry vaccination plan, but has not released further details.

The USDA should take "renewed action" to fight bird flu as infections rise during the winter months, said 23 U.S. senators in a letter sent on Wednesday to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and reported first by Reuters.

"Any finalized vaccine strategy must take into account feedback from animal health stakeholders, industry experts, and be grounded in sound science," said the letter, led by Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota, the top Democrat on the Senate Agriculture Committee, and Republican U.S. Senator Mike Rounds of South Dakota.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/us-senators-push-usda-urgent-action-bird-flu-vaccine-2025-12-11/