How RFK’s Anti-Vax Agenda Might Make Eggs More Expensive This Winter

Bird flu threatens egg supplies

H5N1, or bird flu, is a major potential driver of higher egg prices this winter. Since 2022, the virus and efforts to contain it have led to the deaths of more than 160 million egg-laying hens in the United States.

Vaccination plan hits a pause

The United States has several bird flu vaccines that the USDA has deemed safe and effective, and egg and turkey producers want to use them. In early 2025, the Trump administration said it would develop a possible vaccination plan in consultation with trade partners, state veterinarians, farmers and other stakeholders.

Politico reported last week that the plan had stalled. It said USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins pulled back an internal strategy because of concern it could conflict with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s anti-vaccine views, despite advice from expert agency staff.

Export concerns shape policy

Kennedy oversees the Food and Drug Administration, which has some jurisdiction over farms, while the USDA manages disease outbreaks. The article says Kennedy and the Make America Healthy Again movement appear to have enough political influence to affect the agriculture department’s response to the largest bird flu outbreak in US history.

The USDA has not allowed egg and turkey producers to vaccinate, in part because of concerns about the chicken meat industry. Broiler chickens are less likely to get infected, and the US industry exported 13.9 percent of its production, valued at $6.2 billion last year.

Many countries importing US chicken meat could pause imports if any farmed birds in the country are vaccinated, even if broiler chickens are not. The concern is known as the “DIVA” problem: distinguishing infected animals from vaccinated ones.

Seasonal spread and culling

H5N1 tends to spread seasonally as migrating ducks and geese move south for winter and shed the virus near farms. In crowded poultry barns, infection can spread quickly through a flock.

Federal rules require producers to cull every bird in a barn once H5N1 is detected. The predominant method described involves sealing vents, raising temperatures and killing birds through heatstroke; many birds die from culling rather than the disease itself.

The outbreak also affects turkeys: tens of millions have died from H5N1 and related culling since 2022. Without vaccination, the story warns, consumers and birds may remain exposed to the consequences of continued outbreaks.