FDA clears bird flu vax, DA elated

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the country’s first vaccine against avian influenza or bird flu — a development the Department of Agriculture (DA) says is a major step toward protecting the poultry industry and ensuring national food security.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. announced Wednesday that the vaccine, called Volvac B.E.S.T. AI plus ND, provides immunity against the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus and velogenic Newcastle disease.

Both are highly contagious and deadly to poultry, and H5N1 can also be transmitted to humans.

“With the FDA’s approval...the poultry sector now has a strong line of defense against a virus that threatens both food security and human health,” Laurel said.

He expressed gratitude to Health Secretary Ted Herbosa and FDA director general Paolo Teston, saying their agencies “have always worked closely to ensure that only safe and effective livestock vaccines reach our market.”

The vaccine is administered by injection to birds that are at least 10 days old, with full immunity developing within 10 to 14 days.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the poultry sector, which includes eggs, generated a production value of P362 billion in 2024.

Laurel said the vaccine’s approval is part of a “whole-of-government approach” directed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to “bolster our agricultural productivity, ensure food safety, and protect the livelihoods of Filipinos in the livestock sector.”