(An IOWA CAPITAL DISPATCH report) – Nearly two dozen U.S. senators urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in a letter, to “prioritize” a vaccine strategy for the highly pathogenic avian influenza. The virus has impacted more than 184 million commercial and backyard poultry birds and more than 1,000 head of dairy cattle since February 2022.

The letter comes as detections of the bird flu have increased over the winter months in states across the country, according to reporting from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.  A case of bird flu was detected in Iowa Dec. 2, in a Hamilton County commercial turkey flock, and as recently as Tuesday in flocks in Indiana, North Dakota, Minnesota and Washington.

The bipartisan letter, which included Iowa Republicans Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley, said a “thoughtful and comprehensive vaccine strategy” would “strengthen” the nation’s ability to fight the bird flu, as it prepares for a “resurgence.” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins launched a $1 billion plan in February to combat the ongoing outbreak of the H5N1 virus. Part of that plan included $100 million for research into a bird flu vaccine and other potential treatments.

The letter said USDA has a “draft proposal of an avian flu vaccine strategy for poultry” that is “currently under review” and the signed senators urged the department to advance the process with “speed and diligence.”  A draft proposal for a bird flu vaccine strategy had not been filed in the Federal Register as of Friday. In June, Reuters reported USDA was “considering” a plan to vaccinate poultry for HPAI and expected the plan would be completed in July.

Members of the Congressional Chicken Caucus, representing the interests of poultry producing states, submitted a letter to Rollins in February, noting they were wary of a vaccine, as it might interrupt export markets.  While the December letter from senators urged the advancement of the vaccine process, it also asked for “proactive consultation with affected stakeholders.”  Senators said the vaccine strategy should also address “all impacted species” of poultry and that the department should then prioritize a vaccine strategy for dairy cattle.

The letter was addressed to Rollins and dated Dec. 11. Signees included: Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota; Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota; Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pennsylvania; Sen. John Thune R-South Dakota; Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Arizona; Sen. James Justice, R-West Virginia; Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Michigan; Sen. Michael Lee, R-Utah; Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York; Sen. Thom Tillis, R-North Carolina, Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa; Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia; Sen. Jon Husted, R-Ohio; Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minnesota; Sen. Ted Budd, R-North Carolina; Sen. Mark Warner, D-Virginia; Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa; Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colorado; Sen. Todd Young, R-Indiana; Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-New Mexico; Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio; Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-New Mexico.