26 July 2018
This Biosecurity Advice announces the release of guidelines for the importation of veterinary vaccines titled Assessment of genetic recombination and re-assortment of imported veterinary vaccines.
The guidelines will assist the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources assess import permit applications for veterinary vaccines.
The guidelines contain a risk assessment framework consisting of a series of questions presented as a decision tree.
The decision tree helps the department assess import applications for veterinary vaccines and master seeds. It does not indicate whether or not the application will be approved.
The guidelines also help importers determine what documentation is needed for assessment of their import application. It explains the process the department uses in its assessment of the risk of genetic recombination or re-assortment between agents within the vaccine and other strains already circulating in Australia.
The questions in the decision tree enable assessment of the two fundamental components of risk relating to recombination and re-assortment of imported veterinary vaccines:
- the likelihood of recombination or re-assortment
- the magnitude of the consequences if recombination or re-assortment produces a more virulent or transmissible virus or bacterium than already present in Australia.
The guidelines are designed to make the application process more transparent and to assist importers with their import permit applications, and are available via the department’s website.
Yours sincerely
Dr Carol Sheridan
A/g Assistant Secretary
Animal Biosecurity