A vaccine for the avian flu has been approved for use in chickens. It was developed by a New Jersey-based pharmaceutical company Zoetis.

The Parsippany company that specializes in medicine for pets and livestock has gained approval for its vaccine by the Department of Agriculture. The vaccine is known as H5N2-Subtype.

It would fight the bird flu, which according to the USDA, has infected 23 million birds in the last 30 days. The outbreak has forced the euthanization of flocks at poultry farms, which in some cases has led to a 75% hike in the cost of eggs.

In one store that News 12 visited, the price for a dozen eggs ran between $5.99 and $6.99. At another, customers were asked to pay $4.79 a dozen. And, at a third, eggs cost $5.49.

For many New Jersey families, eggs are a staple.

Shopper Amanda Redman, from Edison, says she generally doesn’t blink at the high price of eggs.

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“If I really need them, sometimes no. It depends on the situation," she says. “I use eggs in almost everything that I make, breakfast, lunch dinner, so it’s a big part of my diet.”

“It crossed my mind for a split second but we eat eggs almost every day," said Tony Milan.

The vaccine from Zoetis could serve as a solution for poultry farmers by saving their livestock. That in turn, could bring down the price of eggs at the grocery store.

But the vaccine will have to be used. Zoetis explained in a statement that, “the decision to vaccinate commercial poultry flocks rests solely with national regulatory authorities in consultation with their local poultry sector.”

In other words, the federal government could have a say in whether or not to promote it.

While vaccines are used in other countries, the U.S. has killed off bird populations infected with avian flu. There have been concerns the virus may be difficult to detect in vaccinated birds or that other countries might not want to import birds that are vaccinated.