Regulatory support for the development and use of animal vaccines ensures their quality, safety and effectiveness. Animal vaccines contribute to the protection of humans from infectious agents that can be transmitted from animals to humans as part of the One Health concept. But they are also an important contribution to the health of livestock and domestic animals. At this year's exchange of experiences in December between the Federal Association for Animal Health (Bundesverband für Tiergesundheit, BfT) and the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut (PEI), Federal Institute for Vaccines and Biomedicines, the implementation of the new veterinary medicinal products regulation was one of the focal points of the technical discussion. It was doubted that the product database of the European Union required for further digitisation and implementation would be made available in a timely and functional manner.
Infectious agents that affect animals can also be transmitted to humans. A prime example of this is (terrestrial) rabies. Thanks to consistent vaccination of domestic and wild animals, it was eradicated in Germany. Thus in this country there is no longer any danger for humans from this dangerous disease.
Vaccination of farm animals in the supply chain is an increasingly important component of food safety in times when the use of antibiotics in animal husbandry is critically questioned. The experts discussed the extent to which an initiative for mandatory federal experimental secondary testing of live salmonella vaccines for poultry can contribute to further ensuring optimal vaccine quality in this field.
The continuous and reliable commitment of the PEI at European level both in the area of authorisation and in batch testing as an official test laboratory was praised by the BfT as exemplary. Based on high-quality test results, more than 98% of the batches tested were released to the market within the specified time. The PEI thus makes a significant contribution to the reliable supply of safe and effective animal vaccines to the markets.
Other topics at the event included the use of stock-specific vaccines, the activities of Germany's Standing Committee on Veterinarian Vaccination (StIKo Vet), the coordination group for the mutual recognition of veterinary medicinal products and decentralised procedures, and the revised requirements for testing vaccines on extraneous agents.
Updated: 19.12.2019
