Equestrian NSW Announces Hendra Vaccination Policy

Equestrian NSW wishes to announce its policy regarding the Hendra Virus vaccination and our requirements for all horses entering EA/FEI events in NSW where any horses stay overnight at the event venue i.e. Hendra Vaccinated Events (HVEs), to be vaccinated against Hendra Virus as of 1st January, 2014.  

Equestrian NSW has a responsibility to its members, horses, event organisers and venues to implement a policy to protect equine and human health for the entire community by all available means. Widespread vaccination would effectively prevent future human and equine fatalities.

ENSW is currently in talks with Zoetis, the producer of the Hendra vaccine, to continue to offer the vaccine as affordably as possible for EA registered horses only for a short time. As part of this initiative ENSW will also offer a 50% reduction on the cost of EA online base horse registrations on the proviso that members taking up this offer also vaccinate against Hendra. More details on the offer from Zoetis for vaccines and the date online base horse registrations will be up and running via EA Online will be announced in the coming days.

We are also working through processes to enable event organisers to take advantage of the Zoetis database to confirm vaccination status of all horses entered in HVEs to make administration of this policy as simple and effective as possible.

Please see below for full details of the policy and the Equestrian Australia position regarding this announcement.

Vaccination of Horses Against Hendra Virus

Date: 30 July 2013

Effective: 1 January 2014

Preamble: In the past twelve months the incidence of Hendra Virus infecting horses has increased in NSW with four out of the past seven outbreaks reported occurring in NSW, two in Kempsey. A domestic dog on the Kempsey property was also found to have contracted Hendra Virus.

Hendra Virus can and has caused fatalities in humans and horses.

Equestrian NSW is in no doubt that should a case of Hendra Virus be identified at an EA/FEI event significant consequences to event organisers, venues and indeed ENSW members and their horses would be experienced.

Horses that are in close contact with each other over a length of time are at risk.

Producer of the Hendra Virus vaccine, Zoetis, has rationalized the cost of the vaccine during the initial vaccination phase. Zoetis has an efficient means of tracking vaccinations and EA and its event organisers will be able to take advantage of the Zoetis database for purposes of verifying vaccination status of entries.

The Zoetis vaccine has proven to be an extremely effective and safe vaccine.

Position Statement: Equestrian NSW has a responsibility to its members, horses, event organisers and venues to implement a policy to protect equine and human health for the entire community by all available means.

Widespread vaccination would effectively prevent future human and equine fatalities.

Policy:

Equestrian NSW requires that, as of 1 January, 2014, ALL horses attending any Equestrian Australia/FEI event conducted in NSW considered a Hendra Vaccinated Event* (HVE) will be fully protected against Hendra Virus as per the manufacturer’s registered label claim. Event organisers of HVEs must refuse entry to anyone who cannot verify their horses have been fully vaccinated.

* Definition of a Hendra Vaccinated Event (HVE) – any EA/FEI event held in NSW where one or more horses are staying overnight at the event venue.

IMPORTANT: ENSW advises that should a case/s of Hendra Virus be reported prior to the 1 January, 2014 implementation date for this policy for HVEs, members may be unable to attend any EA/FEI event held in NSW if their horses are not vaccinated.

ENSW members are strongly encouraged to vaccinate ALL their horses, competition or otherwise, if they are at risk. Risk factors include: living in a bat habitat area, humans having close contact with their horses and/or competing against horses from other areas or with unknown vaccination status.

Footnotes

All horses attending HVEs regardless of state of origin must be vaccinated.
Regardless of whether a horse attending a HVE is staying overnight it must be fully vaccinated, this applies equally to horses attending only for a few hours tethered to float or truck.
Zoetis is advising that horses require two courses of vaccine for full protection, with a minimum 42 days required from initial vaccination to full protection (with a second course able to be administered after 21 days).
EA events that run in NSW where NO horses stay overnight are exempt from requiring mandatory vaccinations from entered horses at this time.

For more information contact:

Wendy Cohen, CEO Equestrian NSW - ph. 02 9620 2660 or email wendy@efansw.com.au

Ratified by the Equestrian NSW Board, 25 July 2013 

By: Wendy Cohen, CEO Equestrian NSW