Last revised Friday 1st March, 2013 How do I know if my horse should be vaccinated? You should discuss the suitability of vaccination of your horse with your Veterinarian. From a public and equine health point of view, it is strongly recommended that horses are vaccinated against HeV in Qld and NSW where there have been a previous outbreaks. Horse owners in other areas need to take into account the movement of their horse, bat population density, and the interaction of the two species when making an assessment as to whether they should vaccinate. Is the vaccine likely to become an ‘Open Seller’ in the future? No. Due to the public health bene t of this vaccination and the importance of a national registry it is not likely to become a non-Veterinary vaccine in the future. What is the cost of the vaccine? Pricing will vary between Veterinarians and will depend on the number of horses and the location. On average the cost of the vaccine is not more than the cost of a shoeing. How is the vaccine administered? e vaccine may only be administered by an accredited Veterinarian via intramuscular injection into the side of the neck. Two 1ml doses are given at an interval of three weeks. Is the vaccine compulsory? No. At this stage there is no mandatory requirement to vaccinate your horse. EVA understands that some large horse competitions are making vaccination a condition of entry to their event. is is to ensure the safety of people and the welfare of horses, and EVA supports the initiative. How many doses are required in the initial course? A primary then a secondary dose exactly 21 days later are required to complete a course. It is condition of the APVMA permit that the second dose is given exactly 21 days later, without exception. Periodic boosters will then be required. How can I prove that my horse is vaccinated? ere are two ways that HeV vaccination status can be veri ed; rstly following completion of the vaccination course a certi cate will be emailed to you. Your horses will also be recorded on a central database with the microchip used to identify the horse. Accredited veterinarians and Government authorities have access to this database can check your horse’s microchip number against the database to check vaccination status. Why the strict requirement around 21 intervals between the primary and secondary dose? is is a requirement of permit, and it is based on the clinical trials to date. As more data comes to hand this precise requirement may become so ened. Currently there is no exibility around the 21-day interval between rst and second doses. It is essential that when making an appointment for your primary vaccination that you ensure your availability for the second dose, and make this appointment at the same time. Who can access the vaccination data on the registry? At the moment only accredited veterinarians and government have access to the registry. It is very likely that read only access would become available to horse industry groups in the future. What is the duration of immunity and when do booster doses need to be given? e duration of immunity has been proven to be a minimum of six months, with ongoing research to assess immunity at 12 months. Booster vaccine doses will need to be administered either six monthly or yearly depending on the research work that is being conducted now, and the decision will be made by the Commonwealth Government’s regulatory body, the APVMA. Is there a way to di erentiate infected animals from those that have been vaccinated? Vaccinated horses must be microchipped and their details will be entered into a national register system. A vaccination certi cate will be provided to the owner. If there is any confusion about the vaccination status of a horse involved in an outbreak of HeV, blood samples can be taken to di erentiate naturally infected from vaccinated horses. Does a vaccinated horse need to be microchipped? Yes. It is a requirement that all vaccinated horses are microchipped. If your horse is already microchipped it will not require a second chip. How do I get my horse vaccinated? Equivac® HeV is only available from accredited Veterinarians. ere are over 1000 accredited Veterinarians in Australia who have completed training. Contact your local Veterinarian if you are interested in vaccination. Is my horse guaranteed to be protected against HeV infection a er vaccination? As with all vaccinations, protection against HeV cannot be guaranteed by vaccination, however the clinical trial work to date has shown complete protection in vaccinated horses. As with all vaccines the animal’s ability to respond can vary and it is o en reduced when the animal is stressed or unwell. Why is this vaccine available from Vets only? is is a condition of the Government’s regulatory body that registers Veterinary medications (APVMA) that has allowed the vaccine to come to market under a special permit. Only accredited Veterinarians can administer the vaccine. is is to ensure that the vaccine is handled and stored correctly, that only healthy horses are vaccinated, and to ensure that the requirements of the central data registry are upheld. Do I still need to be vigilant? Yes. Vaccination is not a replacement for hand hygiene, minimisation of contact with horse’s body uids and extreme caution when handling sick horses. Will a human vaccine be produced in the future? is is unlikely. Fortunately, the vaccination of horses provides human protection. However, widespread uptake of Equivac® HeV would be necessary for protection of human life.