USDA exploring possibility of mass vaccinations for American poultry despite RFK Jr.'s warnings



Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. warned earlier this year that vaccinating poultry against highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5) viruses might transform farms into incubators for mutant viruses — viruses that could potentially leap to humans.

"All of my agencies have advised against the vaccination of birds," Kennedy told Fox News' Sean Hannity, "because if you vaccinate with a leaky vaccine — in other words, a vaccine that does not provide sterilizing immunity, that does not absolutely protect against the disease — you turn those flocks into mutation factories."

"They're teaching the organism how to mutate," continued Kennedy. "And it's much more likely to jump to animals if you do that."

Despite Kennedy's concern — which is apparently shared by the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration — the U.S. Department of Agriculture is looking seriously at mass vaccinations for American poultry.

A USDA spokesperson told Blaze News that the USDA "is exploring the viability of vaccinating poultry for HPAI" but noted that the "use of any vaccine has not been authorized at this time."

This vaccine exploration appears to have taken on greater energy in February when egg prices were reaching record highs.

After flying south of $3 between 1994 and 2022, the price for a dozen eggs began to rise dramatically during the second half of the Biden era, then even higher earlier this year, reaching an all-time average high of $6.22 in March.

RELATED: The 'cage-free' myth: Why everything you think you know about ethical eggs is wrong

Allen J. Schaben/Getty Images

Although there were multiple factors at play — including the shift in various states to cage-free hens and record consumer demand — the price spikes were largely driven by the mass exterminations of commercial and backyard bird populations ordered by the USDA in response to HPAI viruses.

Blaze News previously noted that between Feb. 8, 2022 — when the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service first confirmed bird flu belonging to the clade 2.3.4.4b in an American commercial flock — and March 2025, the USDA directed the extermination of over 166.41 million birds. Fewer egg-laying birds naturally means diminished supply and higher prices.

'Vaccination in any poultry sector — egg layers, turkeys, broilers, or ducks — will jeopardize the entire export market for all U.S. poultry products.'

In a Feb. 26 op-ed, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins outlined "five steps to tackle avian flu and bring down costs for American families."

In addition to dedicating up to $500 million to help American poultry producers implement "gold-standard" biosecurity measures, increasing financial relief to farms whose flocks are affected by avian flu, removing "unnecessary regulatory burdens on egg producers where possible," and considering temporary import options, Rollins said her agency would "provide up to $100 million in research and development of vaccines and therapeutics, to improve their efficacy and efficiency."

Although egg prices have returned to relatively normal levels, a USDA spokesperson told Blaze News that the agency continues "to evaluate the potential use of vaccines."

"Before making a determination, USDA, in consultation with federal partners, will solicit feedback from state officials, veterinarians, farmers, the public health system, and the American public," said the spokesperson. "USDA is working with federal and state officials and industry stakeholders to develop a potential plan for vaccine use in the United States."

Reuters indicated that industry members anticipate that the agency will complete its plan in July.

RELATED: Cleaning up Biden’s bird flu mess falls to Trump

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (left) and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins (right). Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

There is some controversy over the potential mass vaccination of poultry on the business side of the equation.

Dr. John Clifford, a former USDA chief veterinary officer who advises the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council, told Reuters that chicken meat producers would be dealt a crushing blow if importers stopped importing U.S. poultry over concerns that vaccines were masking the presence of HPAI in flocks.

Some industry groups are, however, warming up to the idea.

Although the National Chicken Council previously suggested that "vaccination in any poultry sector — egg layers, turkeys, broilers, or ducks — will jeopardize the entire export market for all U.S. poultry products," they have since suggested they are on board with the program if exports go unaffected.

The United Egg Producers are apparently even more gung-ho, having helped hatch a plan suggesting an initial vaccination for baby chicks, a subsequent booster shot, then routine testing.

Nicolas Hulscher, an epidemiologist and administrator at the McCullough Foundation, has suggested mass poultry vaccinations are unwise, telling Blaze News that Kennedy's "worries about mass animal H5N1 bird flu vaccination are fully grounded in robust science."

'Biosecurity remains the best and most prudent approach to mitigate the impact of the disease today.'

When asked about the possibility that the USDA might nevertheless proceed with the mass vaccination agenda, Hulscher said that "the USDA is ignoring the glaring risks of creating dangerous mutant strains with their plans to mass vaccinate poultry against bird flu amidst a bird flu animal pandemic."

Blaze News senior editor Daniel Horowitz drove home the point in a recent op-ed, noting that "leaky, waning vaccines that rely on suboptimal antibodies against rapidly mutating viruses can lead to immune tolerance and imprinting. This can cause the immune system to misfire, resulting in negative efficacy. Any short-term protection against severe disease often comes at a long-term cost as the viruses adapt and grow stronger."

Hulscher suggested that the best way forward when tackling HPAI in domestic flocks is better biosecurity: "Installing surface-air purification systems into farms, combined with iodine-based nasal/oral prophylaxis for farm workers, is a much less risky option than mass vaccination."

On this, it appears the USDA agrees.

The agency spokesperson told Blaze News that in the meantime, "because biosecurity remains the best and most prudent approach to mitigate the impact of the disease today, USDA also continues pursuing collaborative efforts with poultry farmers and companies on education, training, and implementation of comprehensive biosecurity measures."

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Democrats left with egg on their face after cost of a dozen plummets under Trump



The price of eggs began spiraling out of control under the previous administration and continued rising even after President Donald Trump took office in January. While Trump noted that he had "inherited a mess," Democrats and their allies seized on the issue as an albatross to hang around the president's neck.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and a gaggle of other Democrats wasted no time complaining, suggesting in a letter just six days into Trump's second term that he was supposedly not doing enough to lower grocery prices. Democratic MSNBC contributor Brian Tyler Cohen, Brian Krassenstein, and other Trump critics piled on, mocking the president over the mounting egg prices.

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and his comrades kept this line of attack in recent months, characterizing Trump's promise to lower prices as a lie.

Democrats' loss is once again Americans' gain.

The price of eggs has plummeted by 61% since Trump took office — a trend that forced even the president's critics at CNN to admit that his "egg price fiction has suddenly become reality."

The price for a dozen eggs remained south of $3 between 1994 and 2022. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data indicates that but for a few exceptions, the price during that period hovered around or below $2.

Over 5.2 million birds were culled in the last 30 days.

Prices began to skyrocket during the second half of the Biden era, then hit record highs earlier this year, reaching an all-time average high of $6.22 in March. In some places, the Associated Press indicated that consumers have been shelling out as much as a dollar per egg.

There were multiple factors at play, including the shift in various states to cage-free hens and record consumer demand. However, the primary cause was the mass exterminations of commercial and backyard bird populations ordered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in response to highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5) viruses.

RELATED: The 'cage-free' myth: Why everything you think you know about ethical eggs is wrong

Allen J. Schaben/Getty Images

Blaze News previously noted that between Feb. 8, 2022 — when the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspect Service first confirmed bird flu belonging to the clade 2.3.4.4b in an American commercial flock — and March 2025, the USDA had directed the extermination of over 166.41 million birds. Fewer egg-laying birds naturally means diminished supply and higher prices.

The Trump administration announced a $1 billion strategy in February to curb bird flu, protect the poultry industry, and lower egg prices. Exploring temporary import options was a big part of the administration's strategy to drive down prices — and perhaps one of the most immediately effective.

In subsequent months, the administration promoted egg imports from various countries, including Brazil, South Korea, and Turkey, and leaned on Europe to export more. Simultaneously, the administration relaxed regulations for eggs laid by hens raised for meat, reported Reuters.

While the bird flu, which is endemic in wild birds, is still infecting commercial flocks — over 5.2 million birds were culled in the last 30 days — the importation of eggs and the easing of restrictions on eggs have helped lower prices.

RELATED: The California law clucking up US egg prices — and how to beat it

The USDA indicated on Friday that a major reason why prices are down is below-average demand for eggs.

"Shell egg demand posted a slight improvement headed into the Memorial Day weekend but remained well below average in the continuation of a trend that began during the sharp price increases in late winter," the agency said in its weekly report.

An April study from Clarify Capital highlighted by Fox Business noted that 34% of Americans had stopped buying eggs on account of the rising prices; 61% of Americans reported eating fewer eggs; and 44% reported using eggs less frequently in cooking or baking.

At the time of publication, the price of a dozen eggs was just over $2.50, according to Trading Economics.

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Officials warn that already soaring egg prices will increase this year — here's why Americans are facing an egg crisis



The soaring egg prices hitting Americans in their wallets will not dissipate any time soon, according to officials.

On Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt held her first press briefing. Leavitt was asked how the Trump administration is dealing with the high price of eggs.

'Over 100 million birds throughout the poultry industry have been affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza since 2022.'

Leavitt said that the Trump administration has been blamed for the skyrocketing egg prices. However, Leavitt pointed out the eye-raising price increases in eggs under the Biden administration.

"I would like to point out to each and every one of you that in 2024, when Joe Biden was in the Oval Office or upstairs in the residence sleeping — I’m not so sure — egg prices increased 65% in this country," Leavitt said.

Leavitt added, "As far as the egg shortage, what's also contributing to that is that the Biden administration and the Department of Agriculture directed the mass killing of more than 100 million chickens, which has led to a lack of chicken supply in this country; therefore, a lack of egg supply, which is leading to the shortage."

Officials have said the current outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza has caused egg shortages and soaring prices.

The Associated Press noted, "Any time the virus is found on a poultry farm, the entire flock is slaughtered to help limit the virus’ spread. And with massive egg farms routinely housing more than 1 million chickens, just a few infections can cause a supply crunch."

There are additional issues from the mass chicken killings, because it reportedly "takes months to dispose of all the carcasses, disinfect barns, and bring in new birds."

The U.S. Department of Agriculture stated, "Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in commercial table egg layer flocks that resulted in the depopulation of 13.2 million birds in December 2024 continue into the opening weeks of 2025."

"As of this week, 8 APHIS-confirmed outbreaks in 5 states (CA, NC, OH, MO, and IN) have resulted in the loss of 8.3 million birds — 6.8 million (82%) in conventional caged systems and 1.3 million (18%) in cage-free systems. These losses represent 3.7% of the conventional caged layer flock and 1.5% of the non-organic cage-free flock on January 1, 2025," the U.S. Department of Agriculture stated on Jan. 24.

The HPAI was either directly or indirectly responsible for the deaths of more than 20 million egg-laying hens in the last quarter of 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The American Farm Bureau Federation stated in November, "Over 100 million birds throughout the poultry industry have been affected by highly pathogenic avian influenza since 2022, including 3.6 million this October. Egg layers and turkeys have been the most impacted, while broiler flocks benefit from being far away from the Central and Pacific flyways where HPAI is most prevalent in migratory birds."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that cases of avian bird flu have been found in all 50 states and there have been at least 1,471 outbreaks that have affected 147,251,501 birds.

The CDC said humans can get the bird flu through "direct unprotected contact with infected birds or other infected animals," but it is rare. "Most" human cases of H5 bird flu have been "mild" in the United States.

As of Jan. 6, there have been 66 confirmed human cases of H5N1 bird flu in the United States since 2024.

On Jan. 6, the first American died of H5N1 bird flu in Louisiana.

The highly pathogenic avian influenza was first confirmed in a commercial flock in the United States on Feb. 8, 2022.

Another issue causing high egg prices is a shortage of truck drivers.

"Refrigerated truck transportation is a major pain point in the food supply chain right now. There's a shortage of drivers, long-haul truck rates are up, and eggs are, of course, very transportation-intensive. Even before we were dealing with avian flu, the trucks just weren't there to deliver eggs in a timely fashion," Ricky Volpe, a professor of agribusiness at Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, told CBS MoneyWatch.

Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the average price of a dozen Grade A large eggs was $4.15 during the month of December. Eggs were at an all-time high price of $4.82 in January 2023. Between 2017 and 2021, egg prices had an average price of $1.62.

In California, the average price for a dozen large eggs spiked to $8.97, according to a Jan. 10 report from the USDA.

Sadly for the American consumer, price relief on eggs reportedly won't be arriving any time soon and already high prices will actually increase significantly.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that the price of eggs will increase by 20.3% in 2025 and that consumers will likely "continue to experience volatile month-to-month changes." All food prices are expected to rise by 2.2% in 2025.

“Not to be the bearer of bad news, but we’re in this for a while. Until we have time without a detection, unfortunately, this very, very tight egg supply is going to continue," Emily Metz — president and CEO of the American Egg Board — told CNN.

Brian Moscogiuri — a global trade strategist at Eggs Unlimited — told Business Insider, "We are all in uncharted territory. It seems as bad as it has ever been."

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