“UPROAR OVER NEW VACCINE”
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By ADRIENNE CARLISLE on September 29,
2012 in News
THE SCIENTIFIC community and the government is questioning the legality, safety and
efficacy of a new “vaccine” for the deadly African Horse Sickness (AHS) virus developed
by a group headed by the head of apartheid South Africa’s clandestine biological
warfare facility.
AHS annually claims the lives of dozens of horses and the equestrian
community has been abuzz about the reports of a new vaccine, referred to by its developer,
Dr Daan Goosen, as the “inactivated field isolate vaccine”. There has been a vast
amount of hype on the vaccine on social networking sites such as Facebook and many
claim to have already been using it for up to two years with excellent results. Goosen
says the vaccine was produced by his Letaba Veterinary Practice , Pretoria-
Goosen is confident
the inactivated vaccine is the most effective one produced to date and says its use
is legal “but only on prescription by a registered veterinarian and if produced by
LVP et al registered
facilities”. But the Department of Agriculture, Forestry and
Fisheries has rubbished this claim, saying the new vaccine has not been registered
and should not be distributed or used. “In South Africa all animal vaccines must
be registered with the department in terms of The Fertilisers, Farm Feeds, Agricultural
Remedies and Stock Remedies,” said departmental spokesman Steve Galane. Goosen insisted
the activities of LVP et al were not subject to the act . He did not elaborate but
said LVP et al had met all legal requirements.
Galane said the department was aware
of the circulation of the vaccine and was investigating its development. He said
nobody had applied to register the vaccine. Galane said that in terms of the Animal
Diseases Act, a permit was needed from the department for any AHS investigation,
experiment
or research with any vaccine, serum, toxin, anti-
prevention, treatment or cure of AHS.
But some form of clinical
trials have already taken place – despite no permit having being issued. Goosen admits
that safety and efficacy of the vaccine was assessed in “several field trials” from
2008 to 2010 in the Tzaneen area in Limpopo province.
The only official, registered
vaccine for AHS is the live attenuated vaccine developed by State-
not
pumping more resources into developing the vaccine further. Goosen claims LVP et
al’s “inactivated virus” vaccine i s safe and effective compared to the live attenuated
virus vaccines, which could lead to the formation of new, more virulent strains.
But
Galane this week warned that the sale and use of unregistered vaccines, was a “transgression
of the law” and offenders could be prosecuted. He said that this meant that the vaccine
could not even be
used on prescription by a vet.
“The department has been made aware
of the circulating vaccine and is following up on such reports.” The chairman of
the SA Equine Veterinary Association, Dr Alison Sheppard, said that as long as the
new vaccine was not registered, it would not be accepted for the certification of
horses moving into the AHS controlled areas of the Western Cape.
The Western Cape
is the only area from which horses can be exported – although a ban on exports is
put in place when there are AHS outbreaks elsewhere in the country. She said the
new vaccine had also not been accepted by the country’s national governing body of
equestrian sports, known as SA Equestrian Federation , the national horse-
“The only vaccine currently
recognised for official and legal purposes for the vaccination of horses against
AHS is the vaccine produced by OBP,” said Sheppard. She said the OBP vaccine was
effective but due to the many different AHS strains, it did not provide 100% protection
which was why some horses that had been vaccinated could still succumb to AHS. “But
the mortality rate is higher in unvaccinated animals,” she said.
Goosen conceded that
horses traveling to the Western Cape would have to have been vaccinated with the
OBP vaccine. However, he insisted that equestrian institutions should recognise his
inactivated field isolate vaccine for other areas. “It would make much more sense,”
he said. Goosen was the first managing director of the country’s clandestine biological
warfare facility, Roodeplaat Research Laboratories.