Announced by former Minister of Agriculture Marc Fesneau last August, the second vaccination campaign against avian flu for ducks starts this Tuesday, October 1, 2024.
All commercial farms (foie gras sector and roasting sector) of more than 250 ducks (Barbarie, mulard, Peking) are concerned by preventive vaccination, recalls the ministry, made compulsory since October 2023. Conversely, the vaccination of ducks from farms holding fewer than 250 individuals remains prohibited.
The technical instruction details the role of actors in the sector in the context of the renewal of the vaccination campaign, from October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025. On the other hand, the ministry welcomes a “very positive” assessment. in terms of health for the first duck vaccination campaign 2023-2024, with a total of 13 outbreaks identified on farms since October 2023, including only two outbreaks involving vaccinated ducks.
Two vaccines for the 2024-2025 campaign
Two vaccines are selected by the Ministry of Agriculture: the Volvac BEST vaccine from the German laboratory Boehringer Ingelheim, and the Ceva Respons H5 vaccine from the French laboratory Ceva Santé Animale. Two injections must be carried out to follow the vaccination schedule, the primary vaccination having to take place no later than 21 days of age. Mixed protocols between vaccines are not authorized for the first injections.
Furthermore, the ministry ordered “a total of 67.75 million doses of vaccines in order to guarantee the availability of a first volume of vaccines for the first six months of the 2024-2025 vaccination campaign”. Approximately 46,300,000 doses of Boehringer Ingelheim vaccine and nearly 21,300,000 doses of Ceva vaccine are made available to mandated veterinarians.
Each breeder of 250 poultry or more must appoint a health veterinarian for his farm, responsible for supervising vaccination and post-vaccination, specifies the Official Bulletin. Supervision by the mandated veterinarian includes:
- Collection and analysis of vaccination reports;
- The provision of information in the Calypso tool, in order to ensure the traceability of orders and interventions;
- Edition of vaccination certificates;
- Carrying out vaccination audits, mandatory in particular for breeders who vaccinate their animals themselves for the first time.
In addition, the State services, DDETSPP (Departmental Directorate of Employment, Labor, Solidarity and Protection of Populations) and Draaf (Regional Directorate of Food, Agriculture and Forestry) are responsible for ensuring that vaccination is implemented in the field, “in particular by identifying unvaccinated farms that need to be vaccinated and taking action if necessary”.
Multiple levels of post-vaccination monitoring
As with the previous campaign, two levels of surveillance will be implemented to monitor vaccinated batches: reinforced passive and active. As part of reinforced passive surveillance, which aims to detect the circulation of the virus, the breeder or his technician must take tracheal or oropharyngeal swabs every week on five cadavers of vaccinated animals.
Finally, for active surveillance, the mandated veterinarian ensures “a post-vaccination surveillance visit” every 30 days from the completion of the first dose, including clinical examination of the animals and swabs from 60 vaccinated poultry for virological analyses.
Movements of flocks of ducks
Another point of vigilance underlined by the ministry, the movements of vaccinated animals on the national territory are conditional on obtaining negative results of infection by the HPAI virus. Specific documents must be provided to attest to vaccination and surveillance.
Abroad, the movement of vaccinated ducks sent for immediate slaughter is possible provided that “post-vaccination surveillance has given favorable results” as well as “the clinical inspection carried out by the veterinarian within 72 hours preceding loading “.
Reduced financial support from the State
If last year, the public authorities covered 85% of the cost of vaccination, the coverage by the State is less this year. An agreement was thus agreed for the first three months of the campaign, stipulating that the Ministry of Agriculture covers 70% of the estimated costs of vaccination and the sector the remaining 30%.
The technical instruction specifies that the use of a vaccine not offered by the State market is at the expense of the breeder.
