CNN
—

Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture granted a conditional license for an avian influenza vaccine intended for use in chickens, amidst an outbreak that has heavily impacted poultry populations and significantly increased egg prices.

Zoetis, the vaccine’s developer, announced that the conditional license was approved last Friday. The company stated in a press release that their scientists began updating the existing avian flu vaccine back in 2022.

“We have collaborated closely with the administration and Congress, and we are thrilled to receive licensure for the vaccine for poultry. We believe it will serve as a valuable tool for the government as needed,” stated Zoetis CEO Kristin Peck in an interview with CNBC on Friday.

The conditional license was awarded based on evidence of the vaccine’s “safety, purity, and reasonable expectation of efficacy,” according to Zoetis. Such a license is typically granted to respond to urgent situations or special circumstances and is valid for a limited timeframe.

Previously, the company has created avian flu vaccines, including one utilized by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to preserve California condors in 2023. Zoetis emphasized that “the decision to vaccinate commercial poultry flocks lies solely with national regulatory bodies in consultation with their local poultry industries,” as mentioned in their press release.

CNN has reached out to the USDA for comments as of Sunday.

While numerous countries already administer avian flu vaccinations in chickens, the U.S. has typically focused on eradicating the virus through measures such as culling infected flocks. Historically, the practice of vaccination has been associated with several challenges, including the difficulty in identifying the virus in inoculated birds and potential trade implications.

However, as the avian flu extends to other animal species, including cattle, and becomes increasingly challenging to control, the strategy may evolve: In the past month alone, 146 poultry flocks have tested positive for avian flu, affecting over 20.5 million birds, according to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service under the USDA. Since the onset of this outbreak in 2022, more than 150 million birds have been impacted.

Approximately 70 instances of bird flu have been confirmed in humans in the U.S. since March 2024, including a fatal case in Louisiana last year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has asserted that while the risk to the general public remains low, those working on farms with infected animals or tending to backyard poultry are at an elevated risk of infection.

Kevin Hassett, Director of the National Economic Council, is collaborating with Secretary of Agriculture Brook Rollins to devise a plan for President Donald Trump aimed at managing the bird flu situation, which includes strategies that could potentially eliminate the necessity of culling chickens, as he shared with CBS’s “Face The Nation” on Sunday.

“We need to implement effective biosecurity measures and improved medications to avoid the culling of chickens,” Hassett remarked. “We are working on establishing a smart perimeter and are finalizing strategies with top scientists within the government.”

In the interim, consumers can anticipate elevated egg prices throughout the year, attributed to the persistent avian flu outbreak and inflationary pressures, as new forecasts indicate.

Egg prices are projected to rise by about 20% in 2025, while food prices on the whole are expected to increase by around 2.2%, according to outlooks from the USDA. Essentials such as beef, coffee, and orange juice are also experiencing price hikes, but eggs are particularly impacted by the aggressive strain of avian flu, which has disrupted supply chains.

Contributors to this report include CNN’s Aileen Graef, Jen Christensen, Brenda Goodman, and Jamie Gumbrecht.