India’s Bird flu vaccine remains untouched

HSADL, which has the technique for identifying the avian influenza virus among poultry, tested thousands of bird samples including droppings of migratory birds last year after first strains of the deadly H5N1 avian influenza virus were detected in western Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Talking about the efficacy of the vaccine, HSADL joint director H.K. Pradhan said: “The vaccine can be used immediately after a bird flu outbreak to control the spread of the virus as well as for vaccination in anticipation of an outbreak.

“The immune response is good and the protection offered by the vaccine has been found to be above 90%. The protection should last up to six months for hens. For a broiler it needs to be administered only once,” he added.

Pradhan led the special team of scientists that developed it in less than six months after the outbreak. More than six months has passed the vaccine’s development, but there seem to be no takers.