How vaccination is helping protect South Australia’s threatened birds

South Australia is home to some pretty special birdlife, and protecting our most threatened native species from H5 bird flu is an important part of the state’s response.

One of the tools now available is vaccination.

The Australian Government has approved an emergency permit allowing H5 bird flu vaccine to be supplied and used for certain captive bird species. In South Australia, vaccination efforts are focused on threatened native birds, but only where it can be done safely and practically, and where it is likely to provide a real conservation benefit. 

Here’s what you need to know.

Which birds can be vaccinated?

At the moment, the emergency permit only covers certain bird species in captivity.

It does not allow the vaccination of commercial poultry, backyard chooks, pet birds or poultry raised for food production. It also doesn’t cover mammals or other non-bird species. 

At Cleland Wildlife Park, a vaccination program is being rolled out for a range of native bird species including:

• Orange-bellied parrots
• Regent honeyeaters
• Magpie geese
• Australian pelicans
• Regent parrots
• Red-tailed black cockatoos

How does the vaccination work?

The vaccine is given by injection under veterinary supervision.

Just like some human vaccines, one dose isn’t enough. Birds need two doses, given three to four weeks apart, to complete the vaccination course. All vaccinations must be carried out in line with the conditions of the national emergency permit. 

This two-dose process is one of the reasons vaccination is most practical for birds in captivity or carefully managed populations. Finding and safely capturing large numbers of wild birds once would be difficult enough. Doing it again several weeks later, while also monitoring their health, makes widespread vaccination of wildlife impractical. 

Is the vaccine safe?

The vaccine has been assessed by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority and approved for use under an emergency permit.

It has previously been used overseas in commercial poultry, where regulators have assessed its safety and effectiveness in those species. Pilot studies involving Australian bird species have also provided additional information about how the vaccine performs here. 

These studies are carried out under veterinary supervision and approved animal welfare and ethics processes. As the vaccine is used during the H5 bird flu response, experts will continue to build their understanding of its safety and effectiveness in different bird species. 

Does vaccination mean a bird can’t get bird flu?

Not necessarily.

Similar to flu vaccinations for humans, H5 bird flu vaccination in birds can reduce the risk and severity of infection, but it may not prevent every infection. That’s why vaccinated birds still need to be monitored and why testing, surveillance and good biosecurity remain so important. 

Think of vaccination as one part of a bigger protective toolkit. South Australia’s response also includes surveillance, rapid reporting, strong biosecurity, protecting critical habitat and reducing other pressures on wildlife and captive birds. 

What about backyard chooks and commercial poultry?

Poultry vaccination is not part of Australia’s current national response to avian influenza outbreaks.

Australia’s approach for poultry remains focused on detecting outbreaks quickly, containing the disease and eradicating it. Vaccinating commercial or backyard poultry would require further regulatory approvals and is not allowed under the current emergency permit. 

If you keep backyard birds, good biosecurity remains one of the best ways to help protect them. Keep their feed and water away from wild birds, clean equipment and feeding areas regularly, and monitor your birds for unusual illness or sudden deaths. If you suspect your birds are showing signs of bird flu, contact the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline 1800 675 888.

A carefully targeted approach

Vaccinating every wild bird simply isn’t possible. Birds may be difficult to find, to capture safely and monitor, particularly when two doses are needed. It is also important to remember that wild birds are not used to being handled, so handling can cause significant stress, having an impact on their welfare. 

Instead, South Australia is taking a targeted approach, focusing on threatened species and manageable populations where vaccination is safe, practical and likely to make the greatest conservation difference. 

Vaccination won’t replace the other important parts of the bird flu response, but it gives wildlife experts another valuable tool to help protect some of South Australia’s most vulnerable birds.

For the latest information about vaccination and the H5 bird flu response, visit the South Australian bird flu website. 

You might also like to read: Bird flu in South Australia: Your questions answered.