Update: The vaccine product has been officially confirmed.

The South Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regions has confirmed, in writing, that Australia is using the Zoetis H5N2-subtype killed-virus vaccine — an unregistered veterinary product — supplied and used under an emergency permit issued by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA).

The department has also confirmed, directly, that current national emergency permits apply only to:

Rare, protected, and valuable non-poultry avian species in captivity, and
Managed, free-ranging little penguin populations.
They explicitly stated these permits "do not extend to... registered veterinarians or other pet birds."

This is the clearest official confirmation yet of exactly the gap this petition was created to close — the government is safely using this vaccine right now, but private bird owners, working through a registered veterinarian, are excluded entirely.

We've asked the department directly why the same oversight already used for the government's own program (a permit, veterinary supervision, reporting requirements) couldn't be extended to private owners on the same basis. We'll share their response here as soon as we receive it.

Thank you to everyone who has signed and shared so far — every signature is helping keep this question in front of the people who can actually change it.