Australia to vaccinate vulnerable species against H5N1 bird flu

Canberra

The Australian government on Tuesday announced it will begin vaccinating high-risk birds in captivity against the H5N1 strain of avian influenza amid an ongoing surge in cases. Australia’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Minister Julie Collins said in Canberra that the government has acquired an initial 1,500 vials of the H5N1 vaccine and will begin administering it to species in captivity based on their vulnerability and risk of contracting the highly pathogenic strain. “We’ve been very clear that we cannot stop the H5 bird flu from spreading amongst wild birds, but we can take action to protect the species most at risk, and the vaccination is now part of that response,” she said, Xinhua News Agency reported. “Australians should expect to see more spread and larger numbers, particularly of dead birds and mass mortalities around the country from the H5 bird flu; we have been very clear that this will continue to spread across the country,” she added.

As of Monday, Australia had reported 231 confirmed cases of the H5N1 strain, which was first detected on the mainland in June. The number of cases has increased by over 300 percent since the start of August. Speaking alongside Collins, Environment and Water Minister Murray Watt said that wild birds would be vaccinated where possible, but that birds in captivity would be prioritized. He said that the government has increased captive breeding programs in zoos to ensure that the country has viable populations of endangered species. Speaking on ABC radio on August 4, Australia’s Environment and Water Minister Murray Watt said that Australia is likely to see more mass mortality events.

On August 3, the federal government confirmed the Australian continent’s first mass mortality event from the H5N1 strain in a flock of greater crested terns that were found on an island off the SA coast. The H5N1 strain killed an estimated 30,000 sea lions in South America within six months in 2022 and killed an estimated 13,359 southern elephant seal pups on Australia’s Heard Island in the Southern Ocean between August 2025 and January 2026.