Jean hoped bird flu wouldn’t come to Australia. Then it arrived – and she saw a tern ‘trembling and swaying’

Australia to vaccinate vulnerable native birds against H5N1 bird flu

Australia will begin vaccinating vulnerable native birds, including thousands of little penguins on Phillip Island, against the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain in the coming days and weeks. The virus was first detected in Australia in June 2026, making it the last continent to report cases of the highly contagious strain.