France Outlines 2025-2026 National Vaccination Strategy Against HPAI
In September 2025, the French Ministry of Agriculture and Food released the updated official vaccination plan for the 2025–2026 campaign against Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).
France continues to apply a preventive vaccination strategy, targeting exclusively domestic ducks (Pekin, Barbarie, and Mulard) across the entire metropolitan territory. Commercial duck farms in production are subject to mandatory vaccination, while breeder flocks remain excluded when their hatching eggs or day-old ducklings are intended for export. The estimated vaccination volume is approximately 60 million ducks annually.
The vaccines authorized under temporary use permits (ATU) include Volvac B.E.S.T. AI+ND (Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health France) and Ceva Respons AI H5 (Ceva Santé Animale), both of which are effective against clade 2.3.4.4b viruses and compatible with DIVA strategies.
The plan is supported by a comprehensive surveillance framework in line with EU Regulation 2023/361 and WOAH recommendations. Surveillance consists of three levels:
-Event-based surveillance to detect unexpected mortality or disease signs.
-Enhanced passive surveillance through weekly virological testing of up to five dead or morbid birds per unit.
-Active surveillance, with monthly clinical examinations and systematic virological testing of 60 vaccinated birds per farm.
France highlights that vaccination complements biosecurity and sanitary control measures, aiming to reduce preventive culling of healthy birds, limit viral spread, and ultimately achieve eradication of HPAI at the national level.
