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New combined vaccine for Myxi and VHD

RosRWAF

Warren Scout
We are still getting enquiries about the new combined Myxi and RHD vaccine. The main concern expressed with the vaccine is the potential lack of protection against Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic Disease Virus, in rabbits vaccinated with the new vaccine, if they have been previous vaccinated recently against myxomatosis, or have been infected with it and recovered.

This has been raised as a concern because some rabbits which had received previous Myxomatosis vaccination in trials in continental Europe did not develop immunity against RHD following vaccination with the Myxo_RHD vaccine. The vaccines used predominantly there are based on the myxomatosis virus, whereas the current one used here is based on Shope Fibroma Virus. This has led to some uncertainty until recently as to the level of protection so obtained, and the best vaccination protocol to be used in rabbits that have had previous vaccinations.

Recent work has been collated by the manufacturers, and demonstrates that at lower levels of vaccine content, there is not sufficient protection. However, at the levels that the vaccine contains, the vast majority of rabbits developed antibody levels that are protective against RHD. The vaccine is also known to produce cell immunity, in addition to antibody levels, which cannot be measured by blood tests, and these results are typical of an effective vaccine as used in other species.

The only way to examine the vaccine effectiveness further would be to perform challenge studies. This would entail taking vaccinated and unvaccinated animals and deliberately subjecting them to RHD virus, which would kill the unprotected ones. For ethical reasons this is not ideal, and would perhaps be especially unfortunate since the new vaccine has been made without the need to culture the virus in live rabbit liver, as is necessary with previous RHD vaccines.

Without wishing to endorse a specific product, we feel that vaccination against these 2 killer diseases is an important part of rabbit preventative health. Any tool which allows us to prevent death and suffering, especially when this is made easier and therefore more practical to achieve, by only involving one visit to the vets per year, is to be welcomed.

We will be covering this in more detail in the next issue of Rabbiting On, due out early May - to make sure you don't miss your copy please join and support our work, because A hutch is not enough:
http://www.houserabbit.co.uk/join/index.php

In case you lose this message, it will also be available for reference on our Blog http://rabbitwelfare.blogspot.co.uk/
 
I thought they HAD been testing it by deliberately 'challenging' vaccinated and unvaccinated rabbits?
 
6 of our buns went to our vet last Monday and I expected to have the new vaccine however this was not the case. Our vet (who is very rabbit savvy and used by many bunny families) said he still wasn't convinced about the new vaccine.

He said that 'the challenge' had only been carried out on a small number of animals - 12. Out of that 12, 2 went on to have 'a typical' myxi symptoms - I don't understand what this means - he did try to explain but I wouldn't want to offer my explanation here :oops:

So the upshot was our six had their VHD vaccine and are going back next week for their myxi.

Another concern that I have and I brought up with our vet was that regardless of what happens, I prefer our buns being seen and being thoroughly checked by a very good vet at least twice a year and that is what the current situation with the vaccines does. On Monday, with six buns we spent about 80 minutes with the vet. Our buns were examined well, ears, eyes, teeth, abdomen, hocks, bottoms, weighed, claws cut, advice given re diet or any other issue for each one, etc. This happens twice a year all under the guise of a vaccination - the total cost for such a thorough check up and VHD vaccine for 6 buns - just under £100 - amazing.

On my way home I called in to a very well known rescue and there the lovely lady who runs the guinea pig and rabbit rescue expressed the same concerns as we felt, the health check that comes with the 6 monthly vaccines means our buns are checked 6 monthly. If they are vaccinated yearly would that then mean many people would only get health checks yearly :shock: 6 months in a bun's life is a very long time!

Our vet has already agreed that he will set something up to ensure 6 monthly health checks are continued no matter what happens with the vaccine. He also said that the single, 6 monthly supply of vaccines wouldn't last much longer and some vaccine makers had already stopped production with the birth of the new yearly double vaccine. Personally I would like a choice whether or not my buns get the new vaccine or the old one. I should be able to make my own decision on this with my vet's advice. I'm not a happy bunny :?
 
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I discussed with a friend today about the possibilities of missed dental checks because of the lack of visits to the vets.One needle a year means just one check up.Possibly missing out.
Im seriously thinking of sticking to the 2.
 
I discussed with a friend today about the possibilities of missed dental checks because of the lack of visits to the vets.One needle a year means just one check up.Possibly missing out.
Im seriously thinking of sticking to the 2.

Wish we could but it would seem that due to the new vaccine being predicted to be so popular, manufacturers are stopping production of the 'old' type therefore we won't be able to get myxi and VHD separately. :?
 
Wish we could but it would seem that due to the new vaccine being predicted to be so popular, manufacturers are stopping production of the 'old' type therefore we won't be able to get myxi and VHD separately. :?

If its so popular, then why arent all vets certain of it?? There is one vet already mentioned on this thread and one vet from a friend and Im now emailing my vet,a specialist, to see what his take is on it.
I know he was certainly very excited about it, and this was before it came out.Ive not seen him since January to discuss the vacc.
He does use the new vaccine.Ive checked that out.
I trust my vet implicitly on all my bunny care, but if he has any doubts, then I will opt to stick with the old vaccines until both Ian and myself are happy to use the new one.
Im not convinced.
 
I discussed with a friend today about the possibilities of missed dental checks because of the lack of visits to the vets.One needle a year means just one check up.Possibly missing out.
Im seriously thinking of sticking to the 2.

Nobivac are discontinuing the single myxi vac I believe :(
 
Poppy had the combi vaccine and had no reactions at all. Where we live you wont get wild rabbits, neighbours don't have bunnies...hardly ever see a bird in the garden so Poppy isn't massively at risk of anything...but I do want/need to keep her vaccinated. She has no dental issues (but would get her checked out the moment I felt they were problems arising). Poppy gets very traumatised during a vet visit and I keep them to an absolute minimum.

For people like us I think the combi vaccine is brilliant. I'm not sure how confident I would feel with an annual vaccination if I lived in a rural area where myxi was more prevalent.
 
For people like us I think the combi vaccine is brilliant. I'm not sure how confident I would feel with an annual vaccination if I lived in a rural area where myxi was more prevalent.

I live in a rural area where myxi is rife in the wildie population, and I'm more confident in the new one than with the old one. The six-month v 1-year protection is a red herring in my opinion...the new vaccine is actually made from myxomatosis and therefore invokes a full immune response to myxomatosis...the old one uses a similar virus and relies on the rabbit being able to translate that into immunity to myxomatosis if it comes into contact - hence it doesn't provide complete protection. The manufacturers will have had to prove that it provides protection for 12 months, whereas previously, because of the differences, the old one could only manage six months. It's just not comparing like with like to worry about the regularity of re-vaccination, they are completely different products.
 
I live in a rural area where myxi is rife in the wildie population, and I'm more confident in the new one than with the old one. The six-month v 1-year protection is a red herring in my opinion...the new vaccine is actually made from myxomatosis and therefore invokes a full immune response to myxomatosis...the old one uses a similar virus and relies on the rabbit being able to translate that into immunity to myxomatosis if it comes into contact - hence it doesn't provide complete protection. The manufacturers will have had to prove that it provides protection for 12 months, whereas previously, because of the differences, the old one could only manage six months. It's just not comparing like with like to worry about the regularity of re-vaccination, they are completely different products.

Thats really good to know:D I followed my vets advice and went for the combi vaccine. I must admit the biggest draw for me was that she would only need to visit annually...I spend so much time building up trust and we loose it for weeks after a vet visit:(
 
I guess time will tell.

We may see an increase in myxi and VHD in vaccinated buns, we may not.... but this will be measurable.

What will be more difficult to gauge is if buns become ill with what could have been earlier spotted illnesses had they kept going with the six monthly checks.

Some unscrupulous vets (and I'm not suggesting any of our vets fall in to this category) would favour the new vaccine, it's double the cost for half the work - think about it. Each time mine go they have a thorough check over - cost £20 ish per vaccine. Our local vet (not our vet) is charging £42, one vaccine, one check over, double the cost! I know what I prefer!

The manufacturers clearly think that people will prefer the route of least resistance, vaccine once a year hence the reason for the new vaccine. The 'hidden' benefits of twice yearly check ups has not been taken in to consideration BUT like with the recent P@H fiasco, we have to ask ourselves, is this new vaccine for rabbit welfare issues or to make money - the manufacturers are businesses not animal charities.

I will only move to the new vaccine under my vet's advice and this I feel will be when he had exhausted his supply of single vaccines.
 
What will be more difficult to gauge is if buns become ill with what could have been earlier spotted illnesses had they kept going with the six monthly checks.

But equally, one could argue that many owners who might not be prepared to go three times a year for 2 x myxi and 1 x VHD might be prepared to get their rabbit vaccinated if they only have to go once...so it might result in a huge increase in the number of animals given appropriate veterinary care, who might otherwise have just been left suffering (and at risk from these two horrible diseases).

Those who are prepared to go 3 times a year now are probably far more likely to go anyway if they thought their animal needed to see a vet - although of course a vet might pick up something sub-clinical on a routine 6 monthly check. But overall I think there's more chance that this will be a positive thing overall than a negative.
 
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