France has developed and approved a vaccination strategy for commercially reared ducks against avian influenza. However, plans to start work this autumn could be derailed by legal disputes.
To protect commercial farms
Field trials carried out in France as early as 2022 have confirmed that vaccinating domestic fowls against avian influenza can protect commercial farms. To this end, the government has purchased 80 million doses of the vaccine from the German veterinary group Boehringer Ingelheim, writes argarheute.com.
It is announced that from 1 October 2023, vaccination will be compulsory for all ducks reared for meat in mainland France, with exceptions for hatcheries and breeding farms. The vaccination campaign will last for 6 months and each bird will need two doses of vaccine. It has been agreed that the government will pay about 85% of the total cost.
In addition to vaccines, other preventive measures, such as limiting the density of ducks in certain regions and preventing the purchase of new flocks, are being put in place to prevent the spread of avian influenza.
However, legal disputes may delay the vaccination against avian influenza. According to gefluegelnews.de, the French producer Ceva Santé Animale has lodged an appeal with the Paris Administrative Court against the Ministry of Agriculture’s decision to purchase the product from Germany. According to the complainants, at least two different manufacturers must be involved in the vaccination project in order to spread the risk.
Boehringer Ingelheim’s vaccine is approved for Muscovy and Moulard ducks, whereas the competing product is suitable only for the latter. On the other hand, the French vaccine can be used for hatchlings hatched in the hatchery, whereas the German vaccine is used for fattened ducks, which involves higher labour costs. Another reason for rejecting the Ceva Santé Animale vaccine is that it has to be kept frozen, which complicates logistics.