Seal vaccination trial for avian influenza
10 September, 2025
A report dated September 9, 2025, on The Marine Mammal Center’s website describes a bird flu vaccine trial initiated in July 2025. Six northern elephant seals undergoing rehabilitation in Sausalito, California, received two doses of an avian influenza vaccine licensed for use in cattle, while two control animals received saline.
The report notes that the vaccine was selected due to the absence of a marine mammal–specific product and outlines the trial’s design, monitoring protocols, preliminary safety findings (no severe adverse reactions), and the plan to evaluate efficacy through antibody titers and post-release tracking.
