Canadian Government Continues Building an FMD Vaccine Bank

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

‘Before, We Felt Vulnerable by Not Having A Secure Vaccine Bank’

By Emily Mckinlay

The Government of Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) recently announced the next step in developing a vaccine bank for foot and mouth disease (FMD).

On Aug. 30, Public Services and Procurement Canada requested proposals on behalf of CFIA for a supply of vaccine products for the FMD vaccine bank.

Nathan Phinney, president of the Canadian Cattle Association, says this will be essential if Canada experiences an FMD outbreak.

“Foot and mouth disease, or FMD, spreads very rapidly through cloven hoof animals. With beef cattle being one of those, it’s a major concern for us to be prepared,” says Phinney.

“We are very encouraged by the government’s move on the vaccine bank so we can roll this out as quickly as possible if there was ever a case to happen.”

The successful applicant in the request for proposals will provide Canada with concentrated FMD vaccines, which could then quickly be converted into usable vaccines. Established in the 2023 budget, the project is estimated at $57.5 million, which will be spread over five years.

Canada is currently FMD-free and has been since 1952. The disease is caused by a virus in the Picornaviridae family and can infect cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, as well as undomesticated animals such as deer, moose, and wild boars.

The CFIA states that the disease can be identified by fever and blister-like sores on the tongue and lips, in the mouth, on the teats and between the hooves. It is spread through animal-to- animal contact, feeding contaminated products, contaminated equipment, or through the air.

Phinney says that the vaccine bank is only one part of the current response plan for FMD.

“The vaccine bank is not a silver bullet.

“We need to make sure that plan is solidly in place in case anything happens. The biggest way to help prevent it and not need the vaccine bank is to prioritize adequate biosecurity in and out of the country and farm-to-farm. Those are two pieces that we are really pushing to improve with the introduction of the vaccine bank.”

Biosecurity is monitored at borders by CFIA and the Canada Border Services Agency. Travellers are screened when returning to Canada from other countries that may have animals infected with FMD, and the import of animals and products from countries which are not considered FMD-free is restricted.

If mobilized, the vaccine can be used in areas surrounding the disease outbreak, along with a ‘stamping-out strategy’ CFIA describes as including depopulation and cleaning and disinfection of premises.

The Canadian beef industry has been working toward the development for a few years now.

“Without our own bank we are trying to find sources for the vaccine,” says Phinney.

“There is a shared North American bank, but it is inadequate to address the needs of the contributing countries, and coming out of the pandemic we recognized the critical importance for Canada to have a supply for itself.”

The federal government made the announcement initiating the development of the vaccine bank in July 2023.

“The announcement was made two budgets ago and took some time,” says Phinney.

“We would like to encourage that there is a very condensed vaccine, ready at a very secure and biosecure storage facility.

“It doesn’t have to be in Canada, but it needs to be somewhere we can easily access so we have our own agents ready to be diluted and ready to move on a potential FMD infection.”

The CFIA estimates that building up the bank could take two to three years, and the request for proposals specifies that the bank must be stocked by Year 4 of the contract once it has been awarded.

Phinney emphasizes that the storage facility will need to have strong biosecurity protocols and have the ability to dilute and mobilize vaccines within 24 to 48 hours.

“It puts us in a very good position if and when something ever happens.

“Before, we felt vulnerable because we did not have a secure vaccine bank, and this will help us mitigate any major disasters. Without that, FMD could spread rapidly, and there’d be no way to contain it. We could be looking at up to $60 billion in losses if it went nationwide.

“It’s not the only tool we need, but it is a very good tool to combat FMD if there ever is an outbreak.” BF