Orangutan Vaccinated in the US... First Case of Animal Vaccine Administration

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] It has been reported that nine primates, including orangutans and bonobos, in the United States have received COVID-19 vaccines developed for animals. This is the first time that an animal-specific vaccine has actually been administered.

According to National Geographic on the 4th (local time), a total of nine primates?four orangutans and five bonobos?at the San Diego Zoo in California were vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine developed for animals. This marks the first time worldwide that an animal-specific COVID-19 vaccine has been administered.

The nine primates vaccinated are recorded as the first non-human primates in the United States to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Nadine Lamberski, the wildlife protection and health manager at the San Diego Zoo, stated that the orangutans and bonobos each received two doses of the vaccine and experienced no side effects. She added, "We plan to determine the success of the vaccination through antibody testing."

The vaccine administered to the animals was developed by Zoetis, a U.S.-based animal pharmaceutical company. Zoetis began developing the animal vaccine last February after it was reported that a dog in Hong Kong was infected with COVID-19. Experiments conducted so far on dogs and cats have confirmed that the vaccine elicits an immune response.

Earlier, when eight gorillas at the San Diego Zoo were collectively infected with COVID-19 in January, the zoo purchased vaccines from Zoetis to prevent the spread of infection to other primates in the zoo. The gorillas that were infected with COVID-19 are currently recovering through antibody drug treatment.