Animal Health Australia manages Australia’s FMD vaccine bank on behalf of governments and industry. The contract specifies that should doses of the chosen FMD vaccine strain be requested they will be delivered within seven business days.
The required import and emergency use permits are in place and a cold-chain distribution company is contracted to clear the vaccine through customs, store vaccine at its cold store facility, distribute it as requested by Animal Health Australia and provide stock control. The company will also arrange for the return and destruction of unused vaccine doses.
The bank of vaccine antigens, are held in the United Kingdom. It covers the most likely strains of FMD to cause an outbreak in Australia. Once (and if) the virus has been detected in Australia, authorities can match the vaccine they order to the virus causing disease. The antigens covered by the Australian FMD Vaccine Bank are selected (and regularly reviewed) to provide broad coverage against potential FMD threats.
Below is a series of key questions to assist in understanding how Australia may approach an FMD vaccination program should the need arise.
Should we start vaccinating all our livestock now against FMD?
Australia’s highly valued and internationally recognised FMD free status is linked to not using vaccine.
Unfortunately, Australia would lose export markets if livestock were pre-emptively vaccinated against FMD before it was detected. This is because Australia currently has the highest status of FMD freedom as recognised by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), that is ‘Country free from infection with FMD where vaccination is not practiced’.
If Australia was to vaccinate animals prior to an FMD outbreak, we would lose this status, which would cause us to lose many of our export markets.
Most Australian animal produce is exported rather than consumed domestically. Pre-emptively vaccinating all our FMD susceptible stock against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) would have significant economic ramifications.
Why do we need an overseas vaccine bank, can’t we manufacture an FMD vaccine in Australia?
Australian laboratories are not permitted to work with live strains of the FMD virus, which means pharmaceutical companies cannot manufacture the vaccines domestically.
How is the vaccine bank activated?
The activation of the vaccine bank will occur through national committees managing the FMD response as soon as an FMD incursion is confirmed.
The Consultative Committee on Emergency Animal Disease will advise the National Management Group (NMG) to order the immediate delivery of all appropriate vaccine, regardless of whether plans have been made to use the vaccine in the initial emergency response.
The members of the CCEAD includes Chief Veterinary Officers from each of the jurisdictions, representatives from the affected industries (that are signatories to EADRA), and the CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness. Animal Health Australia participate as custodians of the Deed.
The NMG is made up of the Chief Executive Officers of the Australian, state and territory agriculture/biosecurity departments, and affected industry organisations. Animal Health Australia are observers.
Can we get vaccine fast if FMD infection is detected in Australia?
Yes, vaccine access is a key tool part of Australia’s preparations to make sure we are ready to contain and eradicate any outbreak of FMD.
Animal Health Australia manages Australia FMD vaccine bank on behalf of governments and industry. The contract specifies that the requested doses of the chosen FMD vaccine strain will be delivered within seven business days.
The required import and emergency use permits are in place and a cold-chain distribution company is contracted to clear the vaccine through customs, store vaccine at its cold store facility, distribute it as requested by Animal Health Australia and provide stock control. The company will also arrange for the return and destruction of unused vaccine doses.
The bank of vaccine antigens, are held in the United Kingdom. It covers the most likely strains of FMD to cause an outbreak in Australia. Once the virus has been detected in Australia, authorities can match the vaccine they order to the virus causing disease. The antigens covered by the Australian FMD Vaccine Bank are selected (and regularly reviewed) to provide broad coverage against potential FMD threats.
Australia also holds supplies of vaccine guns and safety equipment for administering the vaccine.
Image: Pfizer Animal Health
How would a vaccination program be managed?
The states or territories will develop a plan to deploy the vaccine. They will submit the plan to the CCEAD and NMG. This plan would discuss the objectives of vaccination, how vaccine is to be used strategically (including the species, location and other factors), biosecurity measures and the logistics of administration.
The plan must be approved by the NMG following endorsement by the CCEAD.
How would the vaccine be administered?
Vaccine may be administered by lay vaccinators. ‘Just in time’ training (a program delivered through the AHA training team) will be provided for people administering vaccine.
Vaccinated animals must be permanently identified.
Find out more via the National foot-and-mouth disease vaccination policy – DAFF (agriculture.gov.au)
Will vaccine be key to controlling FMD in Australia?
Australia will consider the potential role of vaccination as part of the response strategy from the day an incursion of FMD is detected. The role of vaccination in an FMD response will vary with a wide range of factors — for example, where and when the disease was introduced, the strain of virus, how long the disease might have been in Australia and its potential for spread.
Under the Australian Veterinary Emergency Plan (AUSVETPLAN) an FMD outbreak will be contained through multiple measures including:
- a national livestock standstill that bans movement of susceptible animals,
- quarantine and movement controls to minimise spread of infection,
- tracing and surveillance to determine the source and extent of infection,
- humane destruction of infected livestock, followed by decontamination and disinfection of affected sites/farms.
Vaccination may be utilised if the disease spreads, or is forecast to spread, beyond the limit of available resources to contain it. It may also be used to protect areas with high densities and numbers of susceptible animals.
The role of vaccine has been examined in studies by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) in 2005 and modelling published in 2021.
These modelling studies have shown that in nearly all instances, the outbreak can be effectively contained with measures such as slaughter and movement restrictions and that “vaccination did not reduce the size or duration” of the outbreak.
View the AUSVETPLAN FMD Response Strategy here.
Does the use of vaccine in an outbreak affect future trade?
The rules of the World Organisation for Animal Health state that FMD-free status can be regained with surveillance:
- three months of the last detected case if disease is controlled without vaccination or
- six months after the last case or the last vaccinated animal is destroyed, if vaccine is used.
How is the vaccine bank funded?
Funding for the FMD vaccine Bank is shared by the Australian Government, the eight state and territory governments and potentially affected national livestock industry associations, including Cattle Council of Australia, Australian Dairy Farmers Limited, Australian Lot Feeder’s Association, Sheepmeat Council of Australia, WoolProducers Australia, Australian Pork Limited and the Goat Industry Council of Australia.
Who provides technical advice on the vaccine bank?
A committee comprising technical experts from government and industry funding parties advises AHA in its management of the FMD vaccine supply contract.
Animal Health Committee receives scientific advice on vaccines for emergency animal diseases, including FMD, from its Vaccine Expert Advisory Group.
AHA also receives technical advice from experts at the CSIRO’s Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP) in Geelong.