Trump USDA Quietly Approves Bird Flu Vaccine To Tackle Outbreak, Ramps Up Security, Imports Eggs, Provides Additional Funding For New Vaccines Delivered Through Drinking Water
The USDA has published a “five-pronged plan” to address the threat and lower egg costs.
With daily headlines warning about the growing potential for a bird flu pandemic, and rapidly inflating egg prices and shortages, the Trump administration has quietly taken some steps to try and quell the threat by distributing bird flu vaccines and investing in more research for new novel mRNA vaccines, along with the latest head of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) providing a framework as to how this administration will handle bird flu.
On February 14th, quietly announced with little press attention or mention by the USDA and its subsidiary the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), pharmaceutical company Zoetis announced a conditional licensing deal with the USDA to provide vaccines for avian influenza H5N2 Subtype, which would be administered to chickens.
Zoetis clarified in its press release that a “conditional license is used to meet an emergency condition, limited market, local situation or other special circumstance and is issued for a finite period of time.”
Mahesh Kumar, Ph.D., senior vice president, global biologics research and development at Zoetis, said in a statement:
“When a new strain of HPAI was identified in the U.S. in early 2022, our scientists immediately began work to update our previous avian influenza vaccine. We first worked on HPAI vaccines in 2001-02 when outbreaks occurred in flocks in Southeast Asia. Our readiness with this most recent vaccine is another example of how we continue to live our purpose to nurture the world and humankind by advancing care for animals, ultimately providing solutions to global animal health challenges.”
That same day Zoetis CEO, Kristin Peck, joined CNBC's Closing Bell Overtime, also announcing the contract.
Science magazine noted in its report:
Although many influenza researchers contend that vaccination can help control spread of the deadly virus, the U.S. government has long resisted allowing its use because of politics and trade concerns that many contend are unscientific. The USDA approval may signal a shift in policy linked to the Trump administration’s worries about egg prices. Even with the conditional approval, USDA must still approve its use before farmers can start to administer the vaccine because special regulations apply to H5N1 and other so-called highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses.
There has been a raft of confusion and disarray in the government as Elon Musk’s DOGE has been laying-off swaths of federal workers, and USDA has been no different. Politico reported in February that “laboratories in a national network of 58 facilities responding to the spread of bird flu were notified Friday that 25 percent of the staff in a central program office coordinating their work” were terminated.
On the same day Zoetis made its announcement, the USDA’s new Secretary, Brooke Rollins, a former policy advisor for Trump, went to work in addressing a number of different things including issuing a “memorandum to rescind all Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) programs and celebrations,” and, “convened a briefing on avian flu and reviewed options for a comprehensive strategy to combat Avian flu and lower the price of eggs,” according to the USDA.
Typically, when a bird flu outbreak is detected on farms, the longstanding response has been to cull the entire flocks. As of today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 166,191,381 birds have been affected in commercial and backyard farms; with the virus supposedly having been detected in every state.
977 dairy cow farms have purportedly also had a brush with bird flu.
Days after Rollins took over as Secretary of the USDA, the department released a new policy shift that supposedly is not going to be centered around mass-culling.
Trump’s economic adviser, Kevin Hassett, told CBS’ Face The Nation on February 17th that the Biden administration’s plan was to simply slaughter animals and is why there is inflation. He explained:
“President Biden didn't really have a plan for avian flu. Well, Brooke Rollins and I have been working with all the best people in government, including academics around the country and around the world, to have a plan ready for the president next week on what we're going to do with avian flu.
“The Biden plan was to just, you know, kill chickens, and they spent billions of dollars just randomly killing chickens within a perimeter where they found a sick chicken.
"What we need to do is, have better ways with biosecurity, and medication, and so on, to make sure that the perimeter doesn't have to kill the chickens. We have a better, smarter perimeter.
“[That is] the kind of thing that should have happened a year ago, and if it had, then egg prices would be a lot better than they are now.
“The avian flu is a real thing, and by the way, it's spread mostly by ducks and geese. And so think about it, they're killing chickens to stop the spread, but chickens don't really fly. The spread is happening from the geese and the ducks. And so, why does it make any sense to have a big perimeter of dead chickens when it's the ducks and the geese that are spreading it?”
AgWeb’s Farm Journal notes that President Trump was first briefed on bird flu during his first tenure in 2017, and the posture then was to do mass-culling. The Journal noted: A USDA bird flu response plan, updated in May 2017 during Trump’s first administration, incorporated policy guidance based on lessons from influenza outbreaks during the Obama and first Trump administrations. The plan stated that “rapid depopulation of infected poultry is critical to halt virus transmission and must be prioritized. USDA report indicated that “nearly 253,000 birds were depopulated.
Though egg prices have risen substantially nationally (the average cost of a dozen Grade A eggs hitting a record high of $4.95 in January 2025), organic production has been less affected, AgWeb pointed out for three reasons:
Less affected: Organic egg production has been less impacted by the bird flu outbreak compared to conventional egg production.
Smaller flocks: Organic egg-laying hens typically live in smaller flocks with more spacious conditions, which may contribute to their lower infection rates.
Price stability: Organic egg prices have been relatively more stable due to different pricing practices, with producers often setting long-term strategic prices with retailers.
The Five-Pronged Plan And New Vaccines
Instead increased bio-security and vaccination is the plan moving forward to combat bird flu outbreaks on farms.
Last week on February 26th, Rollins released a more robust plan, investing roughly $1 billion to address bird flu and bring egg prices back down. The plan was initially detailed in op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), and then explained the plan to press reporters in a short gaggle.
In the WSJ piece she wrote, “The Biden administration did little to address the repeated outbreaks and high egg prices that followed. By contrast, the Trump administration is taking the issue seriously. American farmers need relief, and American consumers need affordable food. To every family struggling to buy eggs: We hear you, we’re fighting for you, and help is on the way.”
Rollins and the USDA’s plan is a “five-pronged strategy includes an additional $500 million for biosecurity measures, $400 million in financial relief for affected farmers, and $100 million for vaccine research, action to reduce regulatory burdens, and exploring temporary import options,” the USDA said in a press release.
The plan in full detail is as follows:
Invest in Gold-Standard Biosecurity Measures for all U.S. Poultry Producers
USDA will expand its highly successful Wildlife Biosecurity Assessments to producers across the nation, beginning with egg-layer facilities, to safeguard farms from the cause of 83% of HPAI cases: transmission from wild birds. These additional safety measures have proven to minimize flu cases; the approximately 150 facilities that follow these protocols have had only one outbreak.
Biosecurity audits will be expanded. Free biosecurity audits will continue for all HPAI-affected farms. Shortcomings for HPAI-affected farms must be addressed to remain eligible for indemnification for future infections within this outbreak. Biosecurity audits will be encouraged and made available to surrounding, non-affected farms.
USDA will deploy 20 trained epidemiologists as part of its increased biosecurity audits and Wildlife Biosecurity Assessments to provide actionable and timely advice to producers on how to reduce HPAI risk at their facilities. These experts will help improve current biosecurity measures to focus on protecting against spread through wild birds in addition to lateral spread.
USDA will share up to 75% of the costs to fix the highest risk biosecurity concerns identified by the assessments and audits, with a total available investment of up to $500 million.
Increase Relief to Aid Farmers and Accelerate Repopulation
APHIS will continue to indemnify producers whose flocks must be depopulated to control the further spread of HPAI.
New programs are being explored to aid farmers to accelerate the rate of repopulation, including ways to simplify the approval process to speed recovery.
Up to $400 million will be available to support these costs for the remainder of the fiscal year.
Remove Unnecessary Regulatory Burdens on the Chicken and Egg Industry to Further Innovation and Reduce Consumer Prices
USDA is working alongside our partners at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to examine strategies to safely expand supply in the commercial market for eggs.
USDA will minimize burdens on individual farmers and consumers who harvest homegrown eggs.
USDA will work with farmers and scientists to develop innovative strategies to limit the extent of depopulations in HPAI outbreaks.
USDA will educate consumers and Congress on the need to fix the problem of geographical price differences for eggs, such as in California, where recent regulatory burdens, in addition to avian flu, have resulted in the price of eggs being 60% higher than other regions of the country.
Explore Pathways toward Vaccines, Therapeutics, and Other Strategies for Protecting Egg Laying Chickens to Reduce Instances of Depopulation
USDA will be hyper-focused on a targeted and thoughtful strategy for potential new generation vaccines, therapeutics, and other innovative solutions to minimize depopulation of egg laying chickens along with increased bio-surveillance and other innovative solutions targeted at egg laying chickens in and around outbreaks. Up to a $100 million investment will be available for innovation in this area.
Importantly, USDA will work with trading partners to limit impacts to export trade markets from potential vaccination. Additionally, USDA will work alongside the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to ensure the public health and safety of any such approaches include considerations of tradeoffs between public health and infectious disease strategy.
USDA will solicit public input on solutions, and will involve Governors, State Departments of Agriculture, state veterinarians, and poultry and dairy farmers on vaccine and therapeutics strategy, logistics, and surveillance. USDA will immediately begin holding biweekly discussions on this and will also brief the public on its progress biweekly until further notice.
Consider Temporary Import-Export Options to Reduce Costs on Consumers and Evaluate International Best Practices
USDA will explore options for temporarily increasing egg imports and decreasing exports, if applicable, to supplement the domestic supply, subject to safety reviews.
USDA will evaluate international best practices in egg production and safety to determine any opportunities to increase domestic supply.
The WinePress reported in January that in the final days of the Biden administration the department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that “approximately $590 million to Moderna to accelerate the development of mRNA-based pandemic influenza vaccines,” specifically tailored to tackling bird flu. This was on top of the $176 million the HHS gave Moderna in July of that year for research and development to create novel mRNA shots. Also in May, The WP cited a report that indicated Pfizer, along with Moderna, were in talks with the Biden administration to create an mRNA vaccine to target avian influenza. “We continue to have active conversations with both manufacturers, and the negotiations are ongoing,” Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dawn O’Connell said at the time. “We are looking to wrap this up and have something to say very soon.”
AgWeb noted a handful of different vaccines the government is currently researching:
Spray vaccination: Some researchers have evaluated immune responses in chickens vaccinated via coarse spray with adenovirus-vectored avian influenza vaccines. This method shows promise for mass immunization of poultry, potentially eliciting both systemic and mucosal immune responses.
Drinking Water: As of now, there are no available vaccines that can be delivered through drinking water for avian influenza. However, this route of administration is being researched as a potential method for mass vaccination.
Aerosol/Spray: Only one vaccine is currently available for aerosol/spray administration. This method could potentially allow for easier mass vaccination of poultry flocks.
After Rollins’ announcement, the USDA published a long list of governors, representatives, department heads and farmers unions singing the USDA’s praises.
National Milk Producers Federation said in a statement: “We support the department’s initiatives to advance vaccine development and deployment that will help control, and ultimately eliminate, the virus in dairy cattle. And we also want to remind consumers that, even as dairy farmers are working with veterinarians and officials at all levels of government to eliminate this animal health threat, milk for consumers remains safe to drink because of the effectiveness of pasteurization.”
The National Chicken Council added: “Particularly, we appreciate the measured and science-based approach for the potential use of an effective and applicable vaccine for laying hens and turkeys, and the administration’s commitment to work with our trading partners to minimize any potential negative trade effects should a vaccine ever be used.”
Even with these measures the USDA still forecasts eggs prices to continue to rise. East Idaho News pointed out: The USDA now predicts the cost of eggs will go up 41.1% this year. Just last month, the increase was predicted to be 20%. And the average prices conceal just how bad the situation is, with consumers paying more than a dollar per egg — over $12 a dozen — in some places.
The plan to import eggs also comes at a time when President Donald Trump has threatened tariffs, meaning that American importers and companies will have to pay the additional fee. Today President Trump proceeded to implement 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada after delaying them from a month ago. However, Newsweek reported that “Canada, which has been a target of Trump's trade policies, is the largest source of eggs imported to the U.S. In 2023, Canada exported $44.1 million in eggs to the U.S., according to the Observatory of Economic Complexity.”
Kailee Tkacz Buller, the USDA’s chief of staff, said in a phone briefing the USDA is looking to increase imports with Turkey. “Turkey is already a country that we import from, and they’ve already made a commitment to give us more items than they normally have. Usually they give us about 70 million, and we’re anticipating them this year to give about 420 million,” Buller said.
AUTHOR COMMENTARY
What a genius plan: import commercial eggs that are already inflated and then slap tariffs on them - that’ll fix it! (sarcasm). Fortunately I do not spend money on eggs at the grocery store; as I have been saying and recommending readers for years now to shop with local farmers who practice sustainable, regenerative agriculture and get your food there. The food quality is leaps and bounds different, and it is no more expensive than at the stores, and actually is in many cases cheaper.
But this action plan betrays the whole premise of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement championed by RFK Jr. (or so people believe) with more vaccinations and more government regulations and oversight.
Last year prolific speaker and farmer Joel Salatin commented on the premise of MAHA, and he summed it up so well when he said, “Sounds great, more nanny state.” He pointed out that it sounded as if it would bring more regulation and government oversight - he was right, and you are seeing that now.
Regulars of The WP know that for years I have been warning that bird flu would be used to usher in my government control and consolidation, and would be used to justify the mass culling of livestock, wildlife and pets, and undergo mass-vaccination campaigns that would both contaminate the produce and accelerate the death of these animals, creating even more food shortages, higher prices, and even purchase limits and dietary restrictions. This is the next stage in this insidious plot and is going according to the script.
1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; [2] Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; [3] Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.
[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).
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"This is the next stage in this insidious plot and is going according to the script."<----Yes. Speaking of which, COVID19 was the first verse. Bird Flu is the second. Oh, look! Where did the flu go? Oh, that's right - silly me! It was 're-branded'! Symptoms are exactly the same for COVID19 and the Bird Flu!
Technically, the 'flu' is when your own body releases its toxins. It's not something you 'catch'.
HOLOCAUST ONGOING 2025….