Current legislation only allows birds that are kept in zoological settings to be vaccinated against avian influenza. This should be extended to static populations of swans and wildfowl to prevent these flocks being wiped out this winter. Stratford upon Avon has such a flock of swans at risk.

Swan populations in the UK are being decimated by the H5N1 virus. These populations are static, live in localised areas that they don’t usually stray from and as such should be treated like birds in zoological collections. In Stratford upon Avon, dozens of swans have died in recent years. At least 20 have died of suspected avian influenza since autumn 2025 out of a population of around 80 birds. The population could be wiped out by a virus that they could be vaccinated against.