Vaccines could be a key means of suppressing bird flu and avoiding the slaughter of millions of chickens, which is blamed for egg prices averaging nearly $5 a dozen.

With record high egg prices, should the U.S. vaccinate chickens against bird flu? Any such program would be expensive and logistically difficult.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced plans to spend $100 million to study bird flu vaccines to fight the disease in concert with meat chicken, egg and turkey groups. That's part of a larger $1 billion effort to invest in more protections to keep the virus off farms that President Donald Trump believes will help lower egg prices.

Vaccines could be a way to suppress bird flu in the U.S. and avoid the slaughter of millions of chickens amid the rising price of eggs. But there are some concerns, too. Here's what to know.

The United States is facing a dilemma over poultry vaccination as egg prices soar. While vaccinating against bird flu could prevent mass culling and stabilise supply, concerns over trade restrictions and virus monitoring have slowed progress.

The US government is considering bird flu vaccines to prevent the mass culling of infected chickens, which has driven egg prices to nearly $6 per dozen.