Ten animals from the Buin Zoo, in Santiago de Chile, became the first in Latin America to be immunized against the COVID-19 with an experimental vaccine developed by the Zoetis veterinary laboratory.
Three lions, three tigers, three pumas and an orangutan received the first dose of the vaccine on December 13 and will receive the second in a few weeks, the largest zoo in Chile reported.
The selection of the species was made according to “international evidence of the specimens most susceptible to contagion” and none of the animals showed adverse reactions, explained the institution, which was closed for months due to sanitary restrictions to contain the pandemic.
“It is a great pride to be the first zoo in Latin America to participate in this study and that already has some of its animals protected against the virus,” said the director of Buin Zoo, Ignacio Idalsoaga.
The animals were not anesthetized to receive their respective doses, but were trained to be inoculated voluntarily.
The vaccine applied in Buin, which passed all Chilean health controls to be applied and is exclusively used for animals, is the same that was used at the San Diego Zoo, in the United States, which immunized its first nine apes in the past March.
“The virus is the same as in human vaccines, however, vaccines for animals vary in the carrier (transporter) that is used. The unique combination between the antigen and the carrier ensures safety and efficacy “, indicated Cristian Dunivicher, technical manager of the Zoetis Laboratory.
Chile, where the pandemic has been under control for months despite the arrival of the contagious omicron variant, was also the first country in the region to initiate human vaccination a year ago and currently 91% of the target population is inoculated with two dose.
So far, more than 10.5 million people have the booster dose and health authorities announced this Thursday that they will give a fourth injection from the second half of February.
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