Vilsack: We’re Ready for the Next Step Toward An H5N1 Vaccine

Earlier this week, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack updated farm country in ongoing efforts to develop an H5N1 vaccine for dairy cattle.

“We have a number of companies that have been working on vaccine and one company has now presented sufficient information to the USDA to allow me to authorize what they did this week," Vilsack said.  "The first field trial of a vaccine for cattle H5N1 for safety purpose.”

Vilsack added the field trial is the next step towards vaccine development.

“Which hopefully will be able to develop the near term with the information that we get from this field trial that will allow us to determine whether we can go to the next level next set of steps necessary to ensure safe and effective use of the vaccine.”

Vilsack said the Center for Veterinary Biologic, based in Ames IA, will oversee the vaccine effort.

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