As viruses change, scientists are forced to create or modify a vaccine, so it can better restrain the virus or disease.
Ben Nuelle spoke with Tom Overbay, of Expedite Animal Health, at the Animal Health in the Heartland Symposium. During their conversation, Overbay shared the challenges scientists face as viruses change, and how USDA assist vaccine companies during such difficult times.
?The virus itself actually changes, so the vaccine may not work as well or the disease goes away,? Overbay said. ?The USDA is starting to work with companies to help create, if you will, changes to your vaccine that allows you to chase after that virus. A vaccine that was developed 10 years ago will need to be updated because the virus is not the same today.?
Overbay added the process in which new vaccines are developed can be lengthy.
?If we were to start with our vaccine formula, that we thought would work through our proof of concept, we?re looking at a process that?s going to take three to four year, if there is already an established vaccine on the market,? Overbay said. ?But let?s say there?s an emerging disease. The USDA will let us go forward with a little, shorter program, and sometimes that can be done as quickly as two, maybe two-and-a-half years.?
To have a vaccine developed from scratch and then approved in the United States costs roughly $4 million. The same process on a global scale costs between $10 million and $15 million.
