France's Bird Flu Vaccine Campaign Revives Poultry Industry

France's bird flu vaccination campaign launched in 2023 has revived its poultry industry, achieving pre-crisis production levels. Despite trade restrictions due to concerns about vaccinated birds, French producers report increased output and reduced health crises. The U.S. announced conditional approval for using similar vaccines.

A nationwide bird flu vaccination campaign in France, initiated in 2023, is reported to have rejuvenated the poultry production industry. Hit hard by prior outbreaks that decimated millions of birds, French producers now say that production levels have returned to what they were before the crises.

Avian influenza, affecting poultry globally, prompted France to mandate vaccinations—specifically focusing on ducks, the species most vulnerable to the virus. This decision has positioned France as the first major poultry exporter to implement such a campaign widely. Trade restrictions remain a hurdle, as some countries worry about the inability to detect infection in vaccinated birds.

Jean-Michel Schaeffer, chair of the French poultry industry group Anvol, affirmed the campaign's success. Poultry output has climbed 12.1% from the previous year, surpassing 2019 levels, a year marked by fewer outbreaks. Meanwhile, the U.S. has granted conditional approval for the bird flu vaccine stockpile created following significant outbreaks in 2014 and 2015.