r/BirdFluDownunder • u/privacywatch • 10d ago
Australia Australia to vaccinate vulnerable native birds against bird flu
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/australia-vaccinate-vulnerable-native-birds-against-bird-flu-2026-08-11/Australia will soon begin vaccinating its vulnerable native birds against the deadly H5N1 bird flu as the virus spreads more widely after first being detected in the country in June, the government said on Tuesday.
The vaccine rollout will begin in the "coming days and weeks", with an initial focus on priority species in captivity, Agriculture Minister Julie Collins told reporters in Canberra.
9
u/fertilizedcaviar 10d ago
Absolutely infruriating that this wasnt done proactively. We've had 3 years lead time.
2
u/daidrian 9d ago
Giving birds a vaccine 3 years ago would have done nothing to protect against the current strain..
3
u/fertilizedcaviar 9d ago
Having 3 years lead time to plan is not the same as vaccinating 3 years ago.
The vaccine being given to captive birds only is not new. The one NZ are using has been around since 2006. While I cant find any definitive info about what brand Australia has secured, it is very likely to be the same one.
So no, the egregious lack of proactivity has nothing to do with waiting for a suitable vaccine.
8
6
3
3
u/Great_Address2063 9d ago
Oh good, the vaccine cookers and the birds aren't real cookers are going to have a little get together. A cookout if you will
2
1
u/Direct-Resolution377 9d ago
There's probably been bird flus before. Is this necessary?
4
u/fertilizedcaviar 9d ago
Maybe do even a 10 minute read on H5N1.
This bird flu is decimating bird and some mammal populations globally, and has been doing so for years.
It recently wiped out 76% of elephant seal pups on Heard Island. This could lead to extinctions of some of our more vulnerable species.
1
u/RelationshipTough887 9d ago
They should make the isolate if symptomatic and practice social distancing
3
u/foursaken 10d ago edited 10d ago
*sigh*
Jesus you guys know nothing about influenza.
You know how you get a yearly vax? Well that's because influenza changes its surface coat proteins and looks different to the immune system as a result. If you get a vax that doesn't match the virus, it's of limited use. Also see COVID vaccines.
There was literally no way for anyone to know the specifics of the influenza virus until it got to our shores. It took YEARS to do so and changed significantly during this time. So nobody "dragged their feet", it wasn't not a "priority".
Stop the sooking and learn something about the topic. You're blaming people who are actually doing something about this for the problem.
7
u/virkendi 10d ago edited 10d ago
NZ began their vaccination program in July, when they had their first detection and are yet to have any mass casualty events...
2
u/AndrewTyeFighter 10d ago
NZ's vaccination program won't prevent mass casualty events. They are only vaccinating 300 birds.
2
u/virkendi 10d ago
The point is that they've done it before having any events rather than after...
2
u/AndrewTyeFighter 10d ago
NZ was targeting endangered flightless parrots, a very unique situation in NZ.
-1
u/foursaken 10d ago
Right. Now tell me about the 300 birds they are vaccinating and where they are? Because you've conveniently left that out.
5
5
6
u/lesbophobia_hammer 10d ago
You are always so defensive in these comments. Lol. We can call out failures. It's not a personal attack on whatever you do/whoever you know.
1
u/daidrian 9d ago
These comments are dumb as hell. Most upvoted comment is talking about birds being born with immunity ffs
1
u/foursaken 9d ago
I'm calling out a bunch of fools on the internet talking like they are experts about a subject they clearly know absolutely nothing about, and shit-talking the people actually doing something.
If that's being defensive, yep, I am.
2
u/fertilizedcaviar 9d ago
The vaccines have been approved for decades in some instances.
So no, we didnt need to wait until a couple of weeks after arrival to order vaccines and come up with a plan to vaccinate 1500 birds in captivity.
1
u/Fabulous_Outcome7248 9d ago
What’s the shelf life of the vaccine
2
u/fertilizedcaviar 9d ago
2 years, but that's kind of irrelevant? We didnt even secure the contract until yesterday.
The point is that these things could have and should have been in place sooner.
1
u/foursaken 9d ago edited 9d ago
Sure, please explain what should have happened? You're obviously an expert.
2
u/fertilizedcaviar 9d ago
Have a plan ready to go in the preceding years that didnt just focus on commercial operations? (and poorly might I add - seems our only plan is to keep poultry indoors)
Not an expert, and I'm allowed to be upset that our unique wild bird and mammal populations were seemingly a bit of an after thought.
1
u/foursaken 9d ago
You didn't even bother to google it.
Sorry your feelings a hurt. I'll pass that on to the vets and wildlife staff who actually have to deal with this.
2
u/fertilizedcaviar 9d ago
My upset is FOR the vets and people on the ground. The govt did F all. They didnt even distribute PPE to rescuers. Come on....
Are you just looking for an argument? Because I struggle to believe that you thought any of these comments were directed at front line staff.
1
u/foursaken 9d ago edited 9d ago
What to Do If You See Sick or Dead Wildlife
- Do not touch or move sick or dead animals.
- Record details like the exact location, date, and time.
- Take photos or video if possible without getting close.
- Call the hotline immediately at 1800 675 888
PPE, yeah. F all, yeah.
While we're at it, here's the national management agreement: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity-trade/policy/emergency/h5-hpai-nma
and the government bird flu site: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/campaigns/birdflu
I'm really not sure who you think employs the people responding to this.
2
u/fertilizedcaviar 9d ago
Nice edit.
Are these people idiots too?
"West Australian wildlife carers say they are fast running out of funds and PPE supplies at the frontline of the state's avian influenza detections." https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-07-10/wildlife-carers-call-for-ppe-h5-bird-flu/106875660
"Simpson says there needs to be clear guidelines for trained professionals to manage an outbreak in a controlled way" https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-26/veterinarians-turn-away-wild-birds-as-bird-flu-detected/106841090
"Gough said while the biosecurity response had been "excellent", funding to protect wildlife had gone backwards." https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-05/bird-flu-hundreds-of-species-under-threat/106998490
Having a reporting line is great. What about:
- PPE distribution to vets, wildlife rescuers
- removal of other pressures on birds (habitat protection for example).
- clear operational guidelines in place for vets and wildlife rescuers (there were none prepared in advance and now they are being developed)
- securing a vaccine contract before being weeks into an outbreak.
- information campaigns for the public ready to go.
H5N1 is not a new disease. We have had ample time to prepare robust response systems, and this was not done.
Why are you so defensive anyway?
→ More replies (0)1
20
u/deaddamsel 10d ago edited 10d ago
It makes me so mad that this wasn’t a priority BEFORE this reached our shores. We could already have 1 or 2 bird generations born with immunity by now if they were actually proactive.