The US Department of Agriculture last week issued a conditional license for an avian flu vaccine for use in chickens, as an outbreak of a newer variant ravages poultry flocks, contributing to the sky high price of eggs.

The Agriculture Department is scrambling to rehire several workers who were involved in the government's response to the ongoing bird flu outbreak that has devastated egg and poultry farms over the past three years.

The government overhaul has raised concerns about public health and the future of the United States’ vast scientific research apparatus.