Broader vaccination approach to be adopted for equine influenza

Franz-Josef Venhaus, Friday, 19 October 2007

The National Management Group has released a communique following a recent meeting in Melbourne.

Addressing the socio-economic impacts of equine influenza will require broader application of vaccination, the National Management Group (NMG) overseeing the disease containment and eradication response has agreed.

Meeting in Melbourne to review the disease response and to consider future plans, NMG acknowledged that both the containment and eradication of the disease and mitigation of socio-economic impacts needs to be pursued in parallel.

While there are differences between horse industry groups on the merits of long-term vaccination, all agreed a significantly broader approach to vaccine use is now required.

This approach will be adopted where it is consistent with the current containment and eradication strategy and is to be implemented with other measures including a relaxation of some movement restrictions.

The agreed strategy will involve:

• Vaccination for control and eradication purposes in affected areas including within buffer zones and for infection suppression


• Vaccination to mitigate consequences of equine influenza for sectors and groups in infected areas


• Vaccination as an insurance against possible outbreaks in targeted sectors or groups of horses in unaffected areas to facilitate greater movement and economic activity.

Additional vaccines outside the industry/government cost-sharing deed will be obtained on the basis that costs will be recovered from industry beneficiaries. Proposals will now be sought from national industry bodies and jurisdictions for the allocation of vaccines in line with this new strategy.

NMG is comprised of the Chief Executive Officers of the Commonwealth and State/Territory departments of agriculture/primary industries across Australia and also the heads of the peak bodies representing the horse industry. It is chaired by the Secretary of the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Dr Conall O’Connell.