Should Animals Also Receive the COVID-19 Vaccine?

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] As Russia recently announced that it has developed the world's first COVID-19 vaccine for animals, interest in the necessity of vaccinating animals is increasing.

According to the BBC on the 1st (local time), experts currently believe there is no evidence that animals infected with COVID-19 can transmit the virus to humans.

However, as various animals such as dogs, cats, primates, and mink around the world have been reported to be infected with COVID-19, interest in vaccines for animals is also growing.

Is it common for animals to be infected with COVID-19? The BBC stated, "Since confirmed cases so far are small in number, there is insufficient data to make a judgment."

Not only pets raised at home but also animals kept in zoos have tested positive. At the Bronx Zoo in New York, a tiger was infected, and at the San Diego Zoo in California, eight gorillas contracted COVID-19.

The BBC said, "It is presumed that they showed symptoms after being exposed to infected zookeepers."

Most animals infected with COVID-19 reportedly showed mild symptoms and recovered within a few days. However, semi-aquatic mammals like mink have shown severe symptoms or even died.

So, should animals be vaccinated? According to the BBC, scientists believe that dogs and cats have a low necessity for vaccination as they are unlikely to transmit the virus to humans.

On the other hand, there are voices advocating vaccination for animals sensitive to COVID-19, such as mink. There is also an opinion that primates, which are easily infected with respiratory diseases from humans, should be vaccinated.

The BBC said, "The worst-case scenario of vaccinating animals is pushing them toward extinction." Experts are actually concerned about vaccinating gorillas for this reason.

On the 31st of last month, Russia developed and approved the world's first animal COVID-19 vaccine, 'Carnivac-Cov,' and the United States is also developing vaccines for animals.

Zoetis, a global animal pharmaceutical company, began developing an animal vaccine after it was revealed in February last year that a dog in Hong Kong was infected with COVID-19. Experiments conducted so far on dogs and cats have confirmed a significant immune response.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.