Inspired by the ease and speed with which mRNA gene therapy was approved and implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, veterinary scientists are now hoping to get mRNA vaccines for animals similarly introduced.

In Australia, Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) are testing animal mRNA jabs that could be rapidly mass-produced for lumpy skin disease, which affects cattle. The mRNA vaccines are in the spotlight for this because getting them registered doesn’t take as long as the traditional vaccines do.

That the idea is coming to fruition isn’t really a surprise: A 2022 article in the journal Virus predicted it would happen. “Recently, the successful application of mRNA vaccines against Covid has further validated the platform and opened the floodgates to mRNA vaccine’s potential in infectious disease prevention, especially in the veterinary field,” the authors said.

Spectator Australia isn’t enthusiastic about it, though. “The fall-out of Covid mRNA vaccines is likely to continue for the best part of a century as a percentage of vaccinated individuals ‘die suddenly’ or suffer from long-term debilitating illnesses,” Spectator said.

“[Yet] instead of suspending all mRNA vaccines until we understand what went wrong, they are being given priority treatment by regulators and championed by manufacturers who love the competitive edge of speed their production offers. Governments, particularly the (broke?) Victorian state government, are funneling tens of millions into mRNA development to keep capitalizing on the political popularity they enjoyed during the Covid era.”

SOURCE:

Spectator Australia June 14, 2023