Federal stuff up: 560,000 doses of bird flu vaccine about to expire

Australia's endangered birds remain unprotected from bird flu, after bureaucratic delays mean 560,000 doses of vaccine are about to expire.

Time is running out for Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry officials, who bought 560,000 doses of avian influenza vaccine to protect endangered species such as the orange-bellied parrot.

The Federal Government purchased 560,000 doses of avian influenza vaccine in February to protect captive endangered native birds against the deadly H5N1 virus, despite knowing the batch would expire by December.

Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry officials selected the vaccine on the basis it had been used successfully overseas, including in the United States to protect endangered condors.

But any hope DAFF had of using the vaccine before it expires has been thwarted by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, which has insisted the vaccine go through months of trials on small native birds before approving its release.

Once CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness completes those safety and efficacy trials, the APVMA must then seek public feedback on the vaccine’s release.

Even if the APVMA grants DAFF approval to vaccinate native birds, Zoetis has announced it is phasing out the vaccine, replacing it with a more effective type.

Asked if the government would have to go through yet another round of APVMA approvals and testing prior to the release of Zoetis’ new vaccine, a DAFF spokeswoman said it was “investigating more than one avian influenza vaccine for use in Australia for non-poultry avian species.”

“The need for further vaccination trials will depend on APVMA assessment of the available data. Some additional trials may be required to determine a safe and effective dose of vaccine for very small Australian birds,” the spokeswoman said.

DAFF confirmed the current batch of vaccine would expire on December 31, which was purchased to protect captive endangered species in case H5N1 was introduced to Australia during the coming spring-summer bird migratory season.

Last summer the virus travelled 6600kms, from the South Georgia islands near South America, to the French islands of Crozet and Kerguelen, which are just 450kms from the Australian Antarctic territories of Heard and McDonald Islands.

The Australian Antarctic Division and the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness are preparing to sample birds on the islands this summer.

Across the ditch in New Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries has already run trials vaccinating some of its endangered native birds.

The vaccine contains inactivated (dead) virus that cannot cause a bird flu infection. It has been shown to be safe and effective in zoos in Europe.

The APVMA failed to provide details of the applications status.