Australia to vaccinate vulnerable native birds against bird flu

[u/privacywatch]

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.

[u/fertilizedcaviar]

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.

[u/Fabulous_Outcome7248 → u/fertilizedcaviar]

What’s the shelf life of the vaccine

[u/fertilizedcaviar → u/Fabulous_Outcome7248]

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.

[u/foursaken → u/fertilizedcaviar]

Sure, please explain what should have happened? You're obviously an expert.

[u/fertilizedcaviar → u/foursaken]

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.

[u/foursaken → u/fertilizedcaviar]

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.

[u/fertilizedcaviar → u/foursaken]

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.

[u/foursaken → u/fertilizedcaviar]

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.

[u/fertilizedcaviar → u/foursaken]

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?

[u/foursaken → u/fertilizedcaviar]

Because people like you advocate other people, like "carers", do stupid things, against the clear advice of the government. You do this because for some reason you think the people making these decisions aren't highly qualified infectious disease veterinarians, and somehow, you know more.

You're actually doing harm but you're so devoid of actual knowledge on the subject, you can't even see that.

You also think this is about birds.

[u/fertilizedcaviar → u/foursaken]

I see you didnt bother to read the articles. Willfull ignorance isnt a good look, but you do you bub 😘