The Australian government did not advocate for vaccinating livestock with mRNA vaccines, according to the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry (DAFF) on Oct. 25.
Nor did it imply consuming animal products from these vaccinated livestock is unsafe.
It comes after DAFF received several enquiries about the potential use of the vaccines in livestock “in response to misinformation circulating on the internet.”
“These statements are false,” DAFF said.
“Currently, no mRNA vaccines are authorised for animal use in Australia.
“Authorisation of mRNA vaccines would require regulatory approvals from the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) and, depending on the nature of the vaccine, other regulatory bodies.”
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Meanwhile, the vaccines are in the research and development phase worldwide after the federal, New South Wales, and Queensland governments and Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) invested in a $4.95 million (US$3.1 million) project to support livestock vaccine research.
DAFF said the technology was “promising” and “with a proper regulatory program to ensure their safety, these vaccines may one day be safe and efficacious for Australian livestock.”
“Through the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen that mRNA vaccines can be rapidly made to protect against new virus strains and allow diagnostic testing to identify whether an animal is naturally infected or vaccinated,” DAFF said.
However, the department added that should a successful mRNA veterinary vaccine be developed, a rigorous risk-based assessment would be undertaken before it is available.
In anticipation of this, the APVMA is developing a regulatory framework that will include information on data requirements and ensure any new vaccine is “effective, safe, and appropriate” for animal use.
“It will also ensure that it is safe for people who consume animal products derived from vaccinated livestock; safe for the environment; and safe for the people who administer the vaccine to animals,” DAFF said.
Therefore, if the mRNA vaccine research and development is successful, it will take time before they are commercially available, subject to APVMA approval processes.
Minister Assures Safety
Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry Minister Murray Watt said, “We need to ensure that they [vaccines] are safe, both for livestock and for the humans who may consume the livestock in the form of meat.”“It is fair to say that we are at a very early stage of looking at what mRNA vaccines can do, and the safety of animals and humans is paramount,” he said.
He said labelling food products from animals injected with mRNA was the APVMA’s responsibility in response to United Australia Party Senator Ralph Babet’s question about the labelling requirements.
“I don’t want to eat that stuff and I think there are a lot of people that don’t want to eat that stuff either,” Mr. Babet said.
Mr. Watt said the APVMA’s responsibility extended to “fully informing consumers of what they are buying and to ensure farmers are fully aware of what they may be using in their farming activities.”
“I can assure the broader public that we will be taking the safety matters you are concerned about into account,” he said.
When asked whether he could foresee a day when it would be mandatory for livestock producers to inject mRNA into their animals, Mr. Watt said “no.”
Effective Tool In Rapid Outbreak Response
It comes after Australia faced increased biosecurity threats to its animal populations, which have far-reaching economic, social, and animal welfare impacts, after the confirmation of foot and mouth disease (FMD) and lumpy skin disease (LSD) in Indonesia, according to the livestock industry.Next-generation vaccine technologies may provide a “game-changing approach” to emergency disease preparedness.
MLA’s Animal Wellbeing Program Manager Michael Laurence said, “If properly harnessed, this technology could be used as one of the effective tools in a rapid response to outbreaks—enabling eradication and return to disease freedom status.”
“Live vaccines cannot be imported to Australia. Establishing the capacity to produce a vaccine is the priority that will provide the Australian cattle and other ruminant industries with insurance against an imminent biosecurity threat,” he said.
“Further, the nature of mRNA vaccines enables the development of laboratory tests to distinguish the immune response in vaccinated animals from natural infection.”
No Need, Director Argues
However, MLA Managing Director Jason Strong said there is no reason to vaccinate animals in Australia without an outbreak.He added that “using vaccines poses a significant risk for our export markets when it comes to the disease-free status of our country.”
“Australia is officially recognised as a country free from FMD without the use of vaccination, which is the most favourable status,” he said.
“Even if there is an incursion, this does not mean that livestock vaccination is the best solution.”
Mr. Strong said vaccinating animals in the event of an outbreak depends on the outbreak size, location, and the species affected.
“There would be other considerations too, such as the likely spread of the disease and animal welfare considerations,” he said
“Any outbreak of FMD in Australia would likely be detected and controlled quickly, and the use of vaccines to control the disease would not be necessary.”
