Accelerated vaccination schedule provides protective levels of antibody and complete herd immunity to equine influenza.
Authors: El-Hage C M, Savage C J, Minke J M, Ficorilli N P, Watson J, Gilkerson J R
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Accelerated vaccination schedule provides protective levels of antibody and complete herd immunity to equine influenza When Australia faced its 2007 equine influenza outbreak, veterinarians proposed compressing the standard vaccination schedule to 14 days between primary doses, yet uncertainty about efficacy and lack of supporting evidence prevented widespread adoption. El-Hage and colleagues investigated whether this accelerated protocol using recombinant canarypox-vectored vaccine (ALVAC-EIV) could still generate adequate antibody responses, with a booster administered at 105 days post-initial vaccination. The accelerated schedule proved highly effective, producing protective antibody titres that met the threshold for herd immunity, demonstrating that practitioners need not compromise on immune protection when epidemiological circumstances demand rapid vaccination. For farriers, vets and yard managers, this provides evidence-based reassurance that emergency disease control measures can be implemented without sacrificing immunological outcomes—a critical consideration during future disease incursions when every fortnight of delay carries epidemiological cost. The findings support both routine protocol flexibility and confidence in contingency vaccination planning for high-risk or outbreak situations.
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Practical Takeaways
- •In outbreak situations, horses can be rapidly protected with a 14-day vaccination interval rather than waiting for standard schedules, enabling faster herd immunity development
- •The ALVAC-EIV vaccine on this accelerated schedule reliably produces protective antibody levels, supporting its use when quick disease control is needed
- •Booster vaccination at 105 days maintains immunity, providing practitioners with clear timing for follow-up vaccinations in accelerated programs
Key Findings
- •An accelerated 14-day primary intervaccination schedule with ALVAC-EIV vaccine produced protective antibody levels
- •The accelerated schedule achieved complete herd immunity in the study population
- •Booster vaccination at 105 days maintained protective humoral immunity
- •The accelerated schedule provides a viable alternative to standard vaccination protocols during disease outbreak situations