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New combined myxi vhd vaccine

W

wiggie

Alpha Buck
My vet has told me that from next year he will be using a new combined myxi vhd vaccine that is more effective and lasts for the full year. He is rabbit savvy and has always been very hot on twice yearly myxi but i've never heard of it.

Has anyone else heard of this vaccine/know anything about it?
 
I haven't heard of it, but I'm a little concerned that they are going along the same route at the mmr vaccination for children. The reason the rabbits have to have VHD and myxi two weeks apart is cos their small body size, and the fact that in nature your body doesn't have more than one virus to fight at a time, so having two at the same time overloads a bunnies immune system. This was confirmed by my vet.

A combined vaccine maybe more convenient and cost effective, but I'd be interested to see some sound clinical safety data first.
 
My vet mentioned this to me in May, said she would be getting it in next year but I didn't ask further questions as I didn't suspect there would be an issue with it if the vet thinks its fine.
 
Yes, it will be a VHD and Myxi combined

Detailed info due for release in January 2012 and Vaccine due for release in first quarter of 2012

Still in trials atm and is being made by Intervet now known as MSD Animal Health

On what I have heard so far not keen as still using Shope Fibroma Virus so relying on cross immunity to give protection against Myxi. Cant see how it'll be helpful to have the immune system challenged even more by giving the VHD in the same vaccine :?

Plus people may go from taking their Rabbit to a Vet for a Vaccine 3 times a year, thus get 3 health checks a year, to only getting one health check a year.
 
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I just hope they don't go down the same route that the NHS did with MMR, and remove the option of having individual vaccines. I would rather have the choice, than not given a choice at all, as was the case with my children. I guess that with many rabbit owners who are uneducated about rabbit vaccines, a combined vaccine may be better than their bunnies not being vaccinated at all. But I would suspect that if a bunny owner feels that they do not need to bother vaccinating their rabbit when there is a widespread disease such as myximatosis, they probably still won't bother with the combined vaccine.
 
Maybe someone could explain to me why giving a combo vaccine is a good idea given that the Myxi part of it is, as previously mentioned, still to be derived from the Shope Fibroma Virus. My understanding of it is that a good immune response is especially important given that efficacy of the Myxi vaccine is relying on CROSS immunity. So surely any additional challenge to the immune system, as would occur if the VHD vaccine is given in combination, could potentially have a negative impact on the efficacy of the Myxi part of the vaccine :?

It makes little sense to me, but that may be because I am so damn thick and uneducated !!
 
Jack's-Jane said:
Maybe someone could explain to me why giving a combo vaccine is a good idea given that the Myxi part of it is, as previously mentioned, still to be derived from the Shope Fibroma Virus. My understanding of it is that a good immune response is especially important given that efficacy of the Myxi vaccine is relying on CROSS immunity. So surely any additional challenge to the immune system, as would occur if the VHD vaccine is given in combination, could potentially have a negative impact on the efficacy of the Myxi part of the vaccine :?

It makes little sense to me, but that may be because I am so damn thick and uneducated !!
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I can see that for the rabbits who maybe do only get to the vet once a year now it would mean that they are covered and although not ideal it may give them more protection than they otherwise get

Mxy and VHD do attack different parts of the immune system so maybe they act independantly? I guess research is still ongoing into it if it isnt being released for another 6 months or so
 
fruitandnutcake said:
I just hope they don't go down the same route that the NHS did with MMR, and remove the option of having individual vaccines. I would rather have the choice, than not given a choice at all, as was the case with my children. I guess that with many rabbit owners who are uneducated about rabbit vaccines, a combined vaccine may be better than their bunnies not being vaccinated at all. But I would suspect that if a bunny owner feels that they do not need to bother vaccinating their rabbit when there is a widespread disease such as myximatosis, they probably still won't bother with the combined vaccine.
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This is exactly what I have been wondering and worrying about. As many of ours are special needs some have had bad reactions to the myxi vaccination and we have decided against or waited considerable time to go ahead with VHD. I am nervous enough about vaccinating our bunnies so would probably chicken out of an all in one vaccine all together :?
 
Hugo's There said:
This is exactly what I have been wondering and worrying about. As many of ours are special needs some have had bad reactions to the myxi vaccination and we have decided against or waited considerable time to go ahead with VHD. I am nervous enough about vaccinating our bunnies so would probably chicken out of an all in one vaccine all together :?
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I cant imagine they will the nhs has a limited amount of money so for them it was a cost saving. The various vaccs are made by different manufacturers so its unlikely a vaccs will be dscontinued. Vet practices do however do deals with companies to use their vaccs so you may find that they offer certain ones as a matter of course. That wont mean however that they cant get hold of an alternative if you ask them
 
The problem is, that if only one company manufactures a vaccine (as I believe is the case with mmr) then if they decide it is cost effective for them to ONLY produce combined vaccine, then they will stop manufacturing the individual vaccinations, making it impossible to obtain the vaccines. I'm not sure if licencing for animal vaccinations is the same for humans, but I tried for years to get my gp to obtain individual vaccinations even when I offered to pay for them, and they wouldn't do it. Then all the private clinics in London stopped offering single vaccines cos they could no longer get them.

I agree with Jane that having two vaccines together could adversely compromise the immune system, especially in bunnies with already compromised immune systems.
 
fruitandnutcake said:
The problem is, that if only one company manufactures a vaccine (as I believe is the case with mmr) then if they decide it is cost effective for them to ONLY produce combined vaccine, then they will stop manufacturing the individual vaccinations, making it impossible to obtain the vaccines. I'm not sure if licencing for animal vaccinations is the same for humans, but I tried for years to get my gp to obtain individual vaccinations even when I offered to pay for them, and they wouldn't do it. Then all the private clinics in London stopped offering single vaccines cos they could no longer get them.

I agree with Jane that having two vaccines together could adversely compromise the immune system, especially in bunnies with already compromised immune systems.
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Its not its different. Personally the only way I could see the current vaccs not being avai is if everyone stopped using them and there was no demand :D
 
I'd be worried about giving my 2 a combined vaccine, I also hope they still provide you with an option to choose combined or single doses. My Frodie had a bad reaction last time to his VHD and he's small for his breed so would be especially worried for him as he may not be able to cope having both vaccines in his system at the same time. I'll just go along with what the vet says when the time comes and hope for the best :? xxx
 
I don't know what to think. There was a reason in the first place why they were seperate. Fair enough it might elimiate the stress of nervous rabbits a bit more. But I think it will cost a bomb for it.
 
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