Australia could soon be vaccinating pets against Covid

Australia could soon be vaccinating pets against Covid
Australia could soon be vaccinating pets against Covid

Australia's 29 million pets could soon be vaccinated against Covid-19 thanks to the efforts of a determined vet.

Dr Sam Kovac has doggedly pursued regulatory approval for the world's only Covid vaccine for pets, developed in Russia, but has been tied up in red tape. 

His practice, Southern Cross Vets in Sydney, has been inundated with calls about vaccines from owners worried about their pets catching the virus. 

However, Covid vaccines for furry friends require sign-off from the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority.  

Vet Dr Sam Kovac (pictured with some furry friends) is confident that a Covid vaccine for pets will soon be allowed in Australia

Vet Dr Sam Kovac (pictured with some furry friends) is confident that a Covid vaccine for pets will soon be allowed in Australia

Dr Kovac said he had a 'positive' conversation with a senior figure in the authority about the issue of having to pay a $105,000 application fee to get the medicine registered.

'They put me in touch with getting an alternative permit. So it's looking like, fast tracking is probably the wrong word, but there is an alternative method that we're looking at to get this approved now,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'It's pretty exciting. It's looking like it's going to happen.'

With 5.1 million dogs and 3.8 million cats, how are all of Australia's pets going to get vaccinated?

'I haven't thought about the logistics of it, but the vaccine itself is not a costly vaccine per vial. In Russia, most of the work is the vets doing their consult and administering it,' Dr Kovac admitted.

'You don't need to import a million vaccines to start off with. If there is interest from a couple of thousand pet owners then we could start with that. 

'It's a very simple vaccine and they could manufacture 24 hours a day if there is the demand for it here. But the first step is to get it approved.'

A pet vaccination for Covid-19 could soon be available in Australia. Pictured is a vet giving a dog an injection

A pet vaccination for Covid-19 could soon be available in Australia. Pictured is a vet giving a dog an injection

Dr Kovac said the APVMA was considering a permit that would allow it to be used in an emergency use situation similar to how vaccines for humans were before they got full registration. 

'So I'm hoping with all the relevant paperwork I can submit to them that we should get a quicker response than initially anticipated,' he said. 

Pets CAN contract Covid - but most vets can't test for the virus 

Despite many people thinking otherwise, Dr Kovac said pets definitely can get Covid, but there is no evidence they can give it to humans. 

'It's kind of weird because thinking about influenza, colds, other respiratory viruses, they don't really affect dogs and cats. I've never heard of a

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