The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Vaccination Task Force is dedicated to studying the challenges and opportunities for the development and implementation of an HPAI vaccination program.
This task force serves as a forum for discussion and information sharing that brings together insights from veterinarians, experts from academia, industry representatives and government representatives on issues relating to the potential use of vaccination against HPAI in Canada.
Background
The recent outbreak of H5N1 HPAI has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of millions of domestic and wild birds throughout the globe. HPAI has occurred in areas of the world where it had never occurred previously, such as countries in Central and South America. In Canada, millions of birds have been impacted since December 2021.
Canada has historically maintained a stamping out policy for HPAI with the goal of achieving disease eradication in poultry and a return to disease-free status. However, the scale and duration of this outbreak, along with international movements towards exploring the use of vaccination as an additional tool to fight against HPAI, has prompted Canada to take action.
In response, this task force was formed in June 2023 building on what has been done to date to bring government, experts and stakeholders together for discussion and consensus building regarding the potential use of vaccination against HPAI in Canada. The task force also informs the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA) decision making process regarding the potential implementation of a vaccination program.
Topics of discussion
The task force is exploring whether Canada would benefit from a vaccination program. Topics of discussion include and are not limited to:
- availability of effective vaccines
- what vaccines are available, for which species
- implementation considerations
- logistics
- roles and responsibilities of government, industry and veterinarians in a roll-out
- approaches for surveillance
- requirements for differentiating infected from vaccinated animals (DIVA) methodology
- how to meet surveillance requirements set by key trading partners
- trade implications
- assessing potential trade implications that could result from vaccination, particularly for Canada's export markets
- identifying cost and benefits
- cost of vaccines per dose
- administration of vaccine
- surveillance
- assessment of economic costs and benefits to industry and government
- cost and responsibility sharing
- knowledge exchange and identifying data gaps
- international experiences/lessons learned
- results of field trials
- identifying Canadian-specific research needs
- any other considerations that may be relevant to the work of the task force
- identification of any challenges or barriers, opportunities, and lessons learned
Looking ahead
- The HPAI Vaccination Task Force may inform:
- policies or strategies developed by the CFIA that would outline conditions for vaccination in Canada, including which species to vaccinate in which region(s) in the event of HPAI vaccination
- design and implementation of a potential vaccination program
Members
The task force is co-chaired by the CFIA and an industry representative.
Co-chairs
- Dr. Mary Jane Ireland, Chief Veterinary Officer for Canada, Canadian Food Inspection Agency
- Phil Boyd, Executive Director, Turkey Farmers of Canada
Members include industry representatives, veterinarians, academia experts and government representatives:
- Agriculture and Agri-food Canada
- Animal Health Canada
- Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums
- Canadian Association of Poultry Veterinarians
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency
- Canadian Hatching Egg Producers
- Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors Council
- Canadian Poultry Genetics Exporters Association
- Canadian Veterinary Medical Association
- Chicken Farmers of Canada
- Egg Farmers of Canada
- Environment and Climate Change Canada
- Équipe québécoise de contrôle des maladies avicoles (EQCMA)
- Provinces and territories / Council of Chief Veterinary Officers
- Public Health Agency of Canada
- Representative of duck veterinarians
- Representatives of genetics / breeding sector
- Turkey Farmers of Canada
- University of Guelph