Vaccines
APHIS, the government body that governs the importation of biological materials, is part of the USDA. They are the agency that gives the public permission to import vaccines. It is not the policy of APHIS to utilize foreign vaccines as a means to eradicate a new disease. Their reasoning is based upon the effects of using a vaccine as it applies to their ability to identify carriers.When an Animal is given a vaccine, their body produces antibodies to fight the virus in question. These antibodies are indistinguishable from antibodies produced to fight the disease. They are the same. When an outbreak occurs within a population of Animals, APHIS, or other veterinary service, go in to take samples to see which Animals may still be carrying the disease and therefore keeping it an active infectious agent. This is when eradication efforts are taken. It is the goal of agencies such as this to eradicate the disease so that it does not spread further. They are opposed to any agent, such as a vaccine that causes confusion in regards to their ability to identify carriers of the disease. There are some vaccines, though not for RHD, which are created using "markers" which identify the vaccine as the cause of the antibodies, thereby ending the issue of confusing indicators when testing samples taken from populations at risk. In countries where there is a wild population of the Animal in question, the concerns over identifying carriers become mute as the wild population will include carriers. In China during the initial outbreaks eradication measures were not utilized in an effort to safeguard their "stock." The continuing spread of the disease in China was attributed in part to the distribution of yarn products that were created from the wool of the carrier population, those Rabbits that survived the outbreak. In Mexico eradication efforts were utilized and the disease is no longer present in that country.
APHIS is also concerned that an imported biological agent may have other disease causing micro organisms within that will cause outbreaks of diseases other than the disease being vaccinated against. Because of this, APHIS scrutinizes the manufacturing process of all biologicals before allowing their importation.
In regards to the use of vaccines prior to an outbreak, there is a fear that the vaccines themselves may import the disease. It is not unheard of that in the act of manufacturing a vaccine, some live viruses will remain within the solution. The vaccine then becomes an agent for transmitting the disease. The risk of this happening is small. In fact literature from Animal Welfare Advocates and Humane Educators in the UK refute this possibility in regards to the vaccines in use there. APHIS would of course have to be convinced of that through scientific data and exam. It is of the opinion of US scientists that in a country where there is a wild population carrying the disease, the risk is out weighed by the already present danger of the virus. In the United States, there is no great wild population of potential carriers. And so it is felt that the use of a vaccine prior to or during the early stages of an outbreak creates a risk of importing the virus and or perpetuating it in a population that is not at risk.
It has never been the policy of APHIS to utilize vaccine as a front line defense against disease. The effort to gain approval for use of a vaccine would have to be great. The process would take a long time, and the effort would stand a very minute chance of fruition.
No scientist or doctor spoken to by this author has felt that a vaccine would be in the best interest of efforts to save lives from the destructiveness of this virus.
It is expected that there will be many who will disagree with the position APHIS takes. Scientific data that refutes their position is welcomed.
Of the vaccines that are available, both are killed vaccines. They are created using material taken from livers of Rabbits who have died who were infected with RHD.
The first is Cunical, created by Rhone Merieux. This vaccine needs to be administered every six months. It must be used within 8 hours after opening the vial and each vial contains ten doses. Cunical is an aqueous-based (water) vaccine. Cunical is no longer used in the UK.
Cylap, the second vaccine is created by Websters Animal Health. It is an oil based vaccine and needs to be boosted every twelve months. It has been approved for use in pregnant Rabbits. It too comes in a ten dose vial, and is also offered in a one dose vial, both must be used eight hours after opening. There is a risk of a local reaction at the injection site that is considered small, and the risk is reduced by thorough massaging of the area. The oil base makes it dangerous to humans as care must be taken that the oil is not injected into the human hand. Cyclap is more expensive than Cunical.
Both vaccines must be stored in refrigeration.
We have heard that at one time an American company, Fort Dodge Animal Health of Fort Dodge IA, was manufacturing a vaccine in Europe, though we do not know what came of this. We have also heard of a humane vaccine being researched in England until funding for the research was depleted prior to a conclusion of the studies, and again have no further information.
We will post more information regarding the application process for obtaining use of vaccines when time permits. In that we have researched this process when attempting to find a way to obtain a vaccine for Myxo, we do know that the normal application process is to obtain use for a specific herd, and possibly for neighboring herds. For use by the general public, it is our understanding that a thorough change in policy and extensive lobby efforts to create such would be be needed.
At this time we are greatly encouraged by research that is currently being conducted to create a new vaccine technology. Though much ofd the info we have is not backed by the peer review process, and comes directly from the laboratories, there is one public announcement regarding this technology. This can be viewed on this page.
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