The H5N1 bird flu virus, which has been circulating in US dairy cows for months, has raised concerns among virologists about its potential to become a permanent fixture on farms. The virus has already caused the death of a 65-year-old man in Louisiana, marking the first US fatality from H5N1. The US is preparing for a potential bird flu pandemic by stockpiling vaccines. By the end of March, the US Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response plans to have up to 10 million doses ready. However, experts question if this is sufficient for a population of around 341 million. The US Department of Health and Human Services has also invested $176 million in Moderna to develop mRNA vaccines for influenza, using the same technology as their COVID-19 vaccines. There’s debate over whether these vaccines should already be offered to dairy farm workers, many of whom have been exposed to the virus. Meanwhile, scientists are exploring alternatives to traditional dairy farming, engineering yeasts and plants to produce milk proteins, potentially replacing 50,000 to 100,000 cows with a single factory.
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