Canine Flu Vaccine Finally Approved

Flu rampant in 33 states

(Animal Radio® Newsroom June 21, 2010) The U.S. Department of Agriculture has finally given the stamp of approval to the first ever canine influenza vaccine.

Canine flu or H3N8, is highly contagious and outbreaks have been reported in 33 states since firsts being identified at a Florida greyhound track in 2004.

The vaccine, Nobivac, has been used limited use over the past year while safety tests were conducted.

Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health, the global leader in veterinary biologicals and developer of the novel vaccine.

Cynda Crawford, D.V.M., Ph.D., says "Like influenza vaccines used in other species, the canine influenza vaccine does not prevent infection; however, it significantly reduces clinical disease and the risk for pneumonia, and vaccinated dogs shed much less virus so they are less contagious to other dogs. Vaccine-induced protection decreases the likelihood of an influenza outbreak in a population if most of the dogs are vaccinated."

Nobivac is made from inactivated virus, is intended as an aid in the control of disease associated with canine influenza virus infection and is administered by subcutaneous injection in two doses, two to four weeks apart.

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