Horse Flu Update: General Information on Vaccines

Horse flu vaccine not available to the public

Horse flu vaccine can be used in New South Wales, Australia, only for the equine influenza containment strategy and by accredited vets operating on behalf of NSW Department of Primary Industries.

Deputy chief veterinary officer Steve Dunn said there have been reports of private vets wrongly promoting local equine influenza vaccination services.

“It is illegal to acquire a vaccine or to vaccinate without DPI approval,” he said.

“Only DPI accredited veterinarians who have been through our induction course can vaccinate DPI approved horses for equine influenza.

“As well as the vaccination injection, vets are required to microchip all horses, record appropriate information and return used phials.”

Mr Dunn said vaccination would not stop horses becoming infected, but it would reduce clinical signs and decrease the amount of virus shed by horses.

“Vaccine is not a silver bullet, or the answer to all the problems thrown up by the EI outbreak,” he said.

“The fact that the virus was brought into the country by vaccinated horses highlights the limitation of vaccines.”

Horse flu vaccine: The facts

Vaccination will not:
• Stop horses becoming infected with the equine influenza virus.
• Replace the need for strict biosecurity. Biosecurity measures must continue - even when immunity has developed - until all infected animals have stopped shedding the virus.

Vaccination will:
• Reduce the severity of clinical signs of horse flu, enabling faster recovery from infection.
• Reduce the quantity of virus excreted by infected horses, reducing the chance of spreading the virus.

Vaccination with ProteqFlu will:
• Provide significant immunity within 14 days of the first of two injections.
• Provide six months protection after two injections. A booster dose after 5 months will provide protection for about one year in total.

Vaccination with ProteqFlu can:
• Complicate diagnosis of EI. Additional testing may be required to confirm diagnosis.
• Be used safely on foals, pregnant mares, lactating mares and older horses, but not on sick or high risk horses such as those that have had severe pneumonia.