News
Exercise Slapstick shows emergency vaccinations are a serious contender in controlling an FMD outbreak
05 Jun 2015
Matthew Phillips from NJ Phillips with Dr Kathy Gibson, Manager Training Services at AHA.
National rapid response team (RRT) personnel, vaccine experts, industry and government stakeholders from across Australia recently participated in a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccination exercise held in southeast Queensland.
The overall aim of the national exercise was to enhance Queensland’s and Australia’s preparedness for an FMD incident should it occur in Australia.
Named after a piece of vaccination equipment, Exercise Slapstick was written and coordinated by Animal Health Australia (AHA) in partnership with the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Australian Government Department of Agriculture.
Dr Mark Cozens (Qld DAF) said the exercise confirmed that the decisions to use emergency vaccination to control FMD and how to apply vaccination are complex and depend on many factors.
‘The exercise identified that decisions surrounding the use of emergency FMD vaccination will have to be made under considerable uncertainty, including whether vaccination would be beneficial in terms of expediting disease freedom and regaining market access,” Dr Cozens added.
AHA’s Manager Training Services, Dr Kathy Gibson, said the exercise also helped to identify logistical and operational issues with respect to vaccination in a regional area.
“It also helped to increase RRT members’ knowledge of the planning and resource needs of the vaccination component of an FMD response,” Dr Gibson added.
The exercise included a visit to a working feedlot and demonstrations of vaccination equipment from NJ Phillips.
The exercise was independently evaluated by Wilna Vosloo, an expert in FMD and FMD vaccines from the Australian Animal Health Laboratory at Geelong. Ms Vosloo stated that the exercise was “very well planned and managed”.
“The close collaboration between AHA, Department of Agriculture and Biosecurity Queensland resulted in a credible, well thought-through exercise.
“This exercise clearly indicated the complexity when vaccination will be used as a control measure for FMD. The exercise fulfilled its objectives but highlighted areas in vaccination policies and procedures that could be enhanced.”
For more information please contact:
Dr Kathy Gibson, Manager Training Services, Animal Health Australia on 02 6203 3955 or email kgibson@animalhealthaustralia.com.au.
Dr Mark Cozens, Principal Veterinary Officer of the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries on 07 5453 5975 or email mark.cozens@daf.qld.gov.au.