By Jeffrey Tucker
Summary:
Egg prices have soared recently, with some stores imposing purchase limits. This surge is primarily due to the mandated culling of millions of chickens to prevent the spread of H5N1 avian influenza. Between 2022 and 2024, over 147 million birds were culled across all 50 states.
Just before President Trump’s inauguration, the Department of Health and Human Services awarded Moderna approximately $590 million to develop mRNA-based vaccines for bird flu. Concurrently, the CDC issued new testing guidelines to detect H5N1 in animals.
Recent actions include New York’s closure of 80 live bird markets and Georgia’s suspension of poultry auctions to curb the virus’s spread. These measures, while aimed at disease control, have significantly disrupted the poultry supply chain, contributing to higher egg prices.