France has initiated the sole bird flu vaccination campaign for ducks in Europe on Monday, October 2, aiming to prevent widespread culling of millions of birds that has inflicted significant losses

on the industry in recent years. Jocelyn Marguerie, the poultry chief at the SNGTV farm vets' association, stated, "There's high pressure from the virus, but vaccination should mean we only face individual cases, avoiding the tidal wave sweeping through farms." The two-shot regimen for ducklings, starting at 10 days old, is mandatory for farms with more than 250 birds, beginning in October.

France's duck industry, responsible for producing foie gras and meat, is particularly susceptible to the virus. Ducks can shed the virus before displaying any symptoms, allowing it to spread undetected. France experienced a wave of bird flu cases from 2015 to 2017 and has faced nearly constant outbreaks since 2020, even though there are currently no disease hotspots.

When a case is discovered, it necessitates culling the entire farm and nearby ones, disrupting long-term production and resulting in significant financial losses for farmers. Thierry Dezes, a duck farmer in the southwestern Landes region who plans to vaccinate around 5,000 ducklings, said, "I've been through four culls since 2016. I hope we'll avoid them this time. (Vaccination) has to work!"

Veterinarians anticipate vaccinating approximately 60 million ducks by the summer of next year. France's initial 24 million doses will be provided by the pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim, necessitating the government to issue tenders for additional supply.

However, the vaccination campaign is not without its challenges. One farmer in the Landes region revealed to Agence France Presse (AFP) that some customers had expressed concerns about consuming meat from vaccinated ducks, although they wished to remain anonymous to protect their businesses. Furthermore, there are concerns in export markets that immunization may mask bird flu circulating undetected among the duck population. A senior official at Japan's Ministry of Agriculture informed AFP that Tokyo would suspend imports of French poultry products once the vaccination campaign commenced. Photo by Ethique & Animaux L214, Wikimedia commons.