"Vaccine Triumphs in Protecting California Condors from Bird Flu Threat"

Avian flu, specifically highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), poses a grave threat to the critically endangered California condors. In a recent outbreak, nearly 20% of the Southwest California condor population in Arizona and Utah vanished. Recognizing the potential devastation, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has requested emergency use of an avian flu vaccine to inoculate condors in case of another outbreak. This would be the first time avian flu vaccines are used on birds in the US. The hope is to prevent further losses and protect one of the country's most endangered species.