Response of Australian veterinarians to the announcement of a Hendra virus vaccine becoming available

Abstract

Design: A cross-sectional study of private veterinarians providing equine services in Queensland.

Results: The study revealed that a majority of veterinarians would support the introduction of a Hendra virus (HeV) vaccine. Moreover, almost half of the respondents intended to make vaccination a prerequisite to horse patient presentation. However, participants also responded that a vaccine would not reduce the risk sufficiently to cease or downgrade their HeV management plan and infection control measures.

Conclusion: When devising promoting and marketing campaigns, government agencies and manufacturers should consider private veterinarians' intentions as a significant driver for the uptake of the HeV vaccine.

Keywords: Hendra virus; biosecurity; infection control; vaccines; veterinarians.