If foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is detected in Australia, vaccination will be considered as part of the response from day one.
The role of vaccination in an FMD response will depend upon the unique nature of each outbreak. It will vary depending on a wide range of factors. The factors may include where and when the disease was found, the virus strain and how likely it is to spread further.
Australia will maintain a flexible vaccination policy. This means experts can decide the best role of vaccination in each situation.
Restoring trade for affected industries will be a high priority. In some cases, using vaccines may help end the outbreak sooner, which could allow trade to resume more quickly.
Access to vaccines
Australia has an agreement to access vaccines through the Australian FMD Vaccine Bank. The vaccines in the Vaccine Bank are chosen and regularly reviewed to cover a range of possible FMD strains.
If an FMD outbreak occurs in Australia, the virus strain will be urgently identified and the right vaccine selected from the Vaccine Bank.
The Consultative Committee on Emergency Animal Diseases (CCEAD) will advise the National Management Group (NMG) on whether vaccination should be part of the control strategy. This advice will be based on what is known about the outbreak at the time.
All doses of the required vaccine will be ordered from the Vaccine Bank, even if vaccination is not used immediately during the initial response.
If needed, Animal Health Australia (AHA), under direction from the CCEAD and the NMG, will seek additional vaccines from other manufacturers or international stockpiles.
Read more about the Australian FMD Vaccine Bank and the AUSVETPLAN Response Strategy for FMD on the AHA website.