Senator Sounds Alarm For Bird Flu Vaccination Program In Cattle

A farm state senator is sounding the alarm and urging the federal government to prepare a vaccination program ahead of any outbreak of avian influenza in cattle.

U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD) is urging Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Brooke Rollins “to develop an emergency plan to vaccinate cattle against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI),” Rounds announced in a statement.

Rounds’ letter is co-signed by Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM.)

Rounds statement warns that “since the most recent outbreak of HPAI beginning in February 2022, HPAI has impacted 116 commercial bird flocks and 26 backyard flocks in South Dakota, amounting to 6.7 million birds.”

“In March 2024, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service detected HPAI infections in dairy cattle herds located on the Texas panhandle; since then, over 1,000 detections have occurred in 17 states, including South Dakota. Although cattle are able to recover from HPAI, producers want to be prepared for additional spread that may occur,” Rounds states.

“While we fully recognize the sensitivities and potential implications of a vaccination strategy in cattle, we strongly urge USDA to be prepared for all potential options in the fight against HPAI,” wrote the senators. “This would include stockpiling vaccine doses for HPAI just as USDA does for other potential diseases of concern.”

“Rounds has been a leader in the push for an HPAI vaccine. In January 2024, Rounds sent a letter to then-USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and then-U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai asking them to begin discussions with trade partners on HPAI vaccines,” Rounds’ statement notes

“In March 2025, Rounds introduced legislation to require the U.S. Trade Representative and the USDA Secretary to negotiate with trade partners on a strategy for HPAI poultry vaccine,” it adds.

Rounds’ letter reads:

Dear Secretary Rollins,

Thank you for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) continued efforts to address H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in cattle and other livestock. We recognize that the first focus is on identifying and preventing these threats before they become endemic in our livestock production systems. Protecting the safety and security of our animal agriculture industry is critical to food safety for consumers and the economic security of our livestock producers.

With over 1,000 confirmed dairy cattle infections in at least 17 states, it is apparent that additional steps are necessary to eliminate this virus from circulating in our livestock herd. In addition to all the positive actions and funding provided by USDA to enhance biosecurity, we believe the next phase of USDA’s response must be to promptly review and approve HPAI vaccines for cattle.

We believe USDA must aggressively prepare for an emergency cattle vaccination strategy. While USDA’s decision to begin accepting applications for a vaccine trial is a step in the right direction, it is necessary for the agency to prepare for widespread outbreaks. Therefore, it is our view that USDA should expeditiously review vaccines and work to procure the necessary doses effective against H5N1. This will be a precautionary step in the ongoing, multi-pronged approach to address this animal disease outbreak. 

While we fully recognize the sensitivities and potential implications of a vaccination strategy in cattle, we strongly urge USDA to be prepared for all potential options in the fight against HPAI. This would include stockpiling vaccine doses for HPAI just as USDA does for other potential diseases of concern. Again, we appreciate all the ongoing work of USDA to address HPAI as quickly as possible and look forward to working closely with you on this critically important challenge.

We look forward to working with you on this issue.