Experience with veterinary vaccines in warm climates

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Vaccinology
• Animal Health

Background:

• Veterinary vaccine manufacturing in Africa faces challenges, particularly in warm climates.
• Maintaining the cold chain integrity from production to administration is critical for vaccine efficacy.
• Existing vaccines for rinderpest and contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) quality depend on uninterrupted cold transport.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of cold chain disruptions on veterinary vaccine quality in African field conditions.
• To introduce and evaluate thermostable and thermotolerant vaccine candidates for key livestock diseases.
• To explore future developments in thermoresistant veterinary vaccines.

Main Methods:

• Field surveys and data analysis on vaccine quality during vaccination campaigns.
• Development and integration of a thermostable rinderpest vaccine within the Pan African Rinderpest Campaign (PARC).
• Review of prospects for thermotolerant attenuated vaccines and genetically engineered thermoresistant vaccines.

Main Results:

• Vaccine quality for rinderpest and CBPP was satisfactory when cold transport services remained uninterrupted.
• A thermostable rinderpest vaccine has been successfully developed and is being manufactured in African laboratories for PARC programs.
• New thermotolerant vaccines for Newcastle disease and future thermoresistant options show potential.

Conclusions:

• The cold chain is a significant limiting factor for veterinary vaccine use in warm climates.
• Development and implementation of thermostable/thermotolerant vaccines are essential for improving livestock health in Africa.
• Advances in genetic engineering offer promising avenues for highly resistant veterinary vaccines.