Australia Debating Ongoing Equine Influenza Vaccination Will Not Work

The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) says delegates meeting at this week’s national Equine Influenza Forum, in Sydney, must ignore calls for the ongoing vaccination of horses. A broad range of industry groups from government and non-government sectors are meeting to debate the issue of ongoing equine influenza vaccination as part of a national summit on 25 September.

“As equine influenza has now been eradicated from Australia, the debate will be around whether horses should continue to be vaccinated to protect them against possible future outbreaks,” Dr Jane Axon, President of Equine Veterinarians Australia, a special interest group of the AVA, said.

“There are vocal groups calling for continuing vaccination, but this is not the answer.

“The AVA does not support ongoing vaccination as this will not stop another outbreak. Only strong and effective quarantine systems can keep this disease out of this country.

“The horses that brought the disease into Australia last year were all vaccinated. The problem is, because equine influenza has the capacity to mutate, even vaccinated horses can catch a new strain of the virus.

“Vaccinating the horses against equine influenza is only protecting against a disease that exists today. Unfortunately the virus can mutate and have a completely different shape tomorrow, and a vaccinated horse can catch it,” Dr Axon said.

“Vaccination simply masks the symptoms of equine influenza and makes it even more difficult to spot. By the time the signs of the disease are visible you could have a huge outbreak and suffer the same devastating effects which the equine industry is still getting over.

“The most crucial thing we can have to protect horses in this country is a strong, science-based quarantine system that works effectively.”

Source: www.ava.com.au