FDA approves first avian influenza vaccine

The Food and Drug Administration approved Boehringer Ingelheim’s Volvac B.E.S.T. AI + ND, the Philippines’ first vaccine against Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, to strengthen food security and animal health.

Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. announced its commercial rollout as a critical step to safeguard the poultry sector, stabilize the food supply, and protect public health as part of broader government efforts to strengthen agriculture and food safety.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, often called avian influenza or bird flu, is an extremely contagious viral respiratory disease in domestic and wild birds with zoonotic potential that can disrupt producers and global trade.

The inactivated Avian Influenza Virus + Newcastle Disease Virus vaccine can be administered to healthy chickens as early as 10 days old, with vaccinated flocks developing immunity within 10–14 days to reduce losses, keep poultry healthy, and support the industry, making widespread vaccination vital to long-term prevention, resilient supply chains, and national food security.

“The rollout of this vaccine strengthens the country’s programs on the fight against avian influenza, giving farmers the means to better protect their flocks,” said Dr. Michael Banawa, Head of Animal Health, Boehringer Ingelheim (Philippines), Inc. “We are committed to supporting the government’s national strategy and to ensuring that poultry health continues to safeguard food security for Filipino families.”

Avian influenza continues to threaten the industry through culling, transport restrictions, and market disruptions, with April 2025 outbreaks in Mexico, Pampanga involving H5N1 and a subsequent highly pathogenic H5N9 detection in Camaligan, Camarines Sur, while the Bureau of Animal Industry still lists nine provinces and 53 localities as affected.

Global experience shows vaccination can sharply curb outbreaks, with France reducing HPAI incidents from more than 300 to just 10 in one year and modeling in China indicating culling can fall by over 90 percent during outbreaks.

As recurring outbreaks endanger farms, livelihoods, and food security, authorities and industry emphasize a layered defense of enhanced surveillance, stricter biosecurity, and widespread vaccination, with Boehringer Ingelheim reaffirming support for science-driven solutions that help prevent and control emerging and zoonotic diseases to protect poultry, sustain livelihoods, and strengthen the nation’s food supply.