Victoria to vaccinate thousands of Phillip Island penguins against H5N1 bird flu

Victoria's chief biodiversity officer announced that up to 5,000 little penguins from the world’s biggest colony on Phillip Island will be rounded up for a two-dose H5N1 vaccine, with a second dose required three to four weeks later. The birds will be briefly confined in a pen, vaccinated, and fitted with microchips, according to the chief executive of Phillip Island Nature Parks. The program, described as the largest wild-bird vaccination globally, relies on 10,000 doses to meet its target, while the federal government has so far obtained about 1,500 doses.

Scientists note that the virus has caused over 200 confirmed cases in Australia, 60 of them in Victoria, and worst-case models predict 8,000-16,000 penguin deaths in a six-week outbreak. CSIRO has previously tested vaccine safety on native birds, and the Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness cautions that broader vaccination of wild birds is not feasible. Other states are expected to nominate additional threatened species for similar treatment.