Abstract Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) viruses, particularly H5N1 and H7N9, have long been considered potential pandemic threats , despite the absence of sustained human-to-human transmission. However, recent outbreaks in previously unaffected regions , such as Antarctica, suggest we may be shifting from theoretical risk to a more imminent threat . These viruses are no longer limited to avian populations. Their increasing appearance in mammals , including dairy cattle and domestic animals , raises the likelihood of viral reassortment and mutations that could trigger a human pandemic. If such a scenario unfolds, the world may face a crisis marked by high transmissibility and lethality, without effective vaccines readily available. Unlike the COVID-19 pandemic, when vaccines were rapidly developed despite inequities in access, the current influenza vaccine production model , largely reliant on slow, egg-based technologies, is insufficient for a fast-moving outbreak. While newe...