France, HPAI: Launch of the 2nd compulsory vaccination campaign for ducks
October 1st marks the start of the second campaign to vaccinate ducks against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in France. The country is renewing its preventive vaccination strategy against HPAI, identical to the one deployed during the 2023/24 season, which focuses on vaccinating ducks on farms. This campaign, unprecedented at the European level, successfully vaccinated 60 million ducks over the past twelve months.
This strategy has significantly reduced the number of outbreaks in livestock, with only ten cases reported during the 2023/24 campaign, compared to more than 400 in the previous season. A study by the Chair of Avian Biosecurity and Health at the National Veterinary School of Toulouse estimates that several hundred outbreaks were prevented thanks to this vaccination approach.
The cost of the vaccination campaign, approximately 100 million euros, will be financially supported by the State, covering up to 70% of the expenses until the end of the year. The distribution of costs was co-developed with industry stakeholders and validated on August 30. The system is operational and mirrors the successful organization of the first vaccination campaign.
As a reminder, vaccination is mandatory for farms with more than 250 ducks (including Muscovy, Mulard, and Pekin breeds) whose products, such as meat and foie gras, are intended for sale. The entire French mainland (except for Corsica) is affected, with approximately 62 million ducks to be vaccinated across 2,500 farms.