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Bird Flu Vaccine Trials Begin for Northern Elephant Seals amid Urgent Threat

Science and Technology

Business Honor
28 January, 2026

Marine veterinarians hope to protect endangered Hawaiian monk seals from H5N1 as virus spreads.

A Wildlife Veterinarian is carrying out testing of a Bird Flu Bio Vaccine to be used on Marine Mammals and the incredibly severe impact H5N1 had on the Wildlife population around the world. The first test began in July of this year with only six (6) Northern Elephant Seals who are currently being rehabilitated at the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito, California.

With only about 1,600 Hawaiian Monk Seals left in the wild and living primarily around a chain of remote islands, this is certainly a high stakes health situation. As migratory birds return to Hawaii, there will be an increased chance that the virus will spread across the globe to the surrounding population. Dr. Sophie Whoriskey, Associate Director of Hawaii Conservation Medicine at the Marine Mammal Center stated, "The virus is on the move", which indicates how quickly action must occur before it is too late.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will work with the center director to determine how to vaccinate monk seals, according to Rachel Hager, a representative of NOAA. She said in an email, "we will use the results of this study to make a decision on how to best protect our federally endangered species of marine mammals."

The latest outbreak has caused an estimated 17,400 deaths of southern elephant seal pups in late 2023 along the Valdes Peninsula in Argentina. Such extraordinary mortality rates from this virus greatly increase concerns about how the monk seal population can withstand a similar outbreak.

While the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread, its effects on wildlife and humans have been dramatic, with documented cases of infection in both dairy cattle and farm workers throughout the U.S. Because of the current circumstances, the trials of avian flu vaccines for marine mammals could be essential for the conservation of some of the world's most endangered species, and may be expanded to include additional marine mammal species following the initial trial results.