First-of-its-kind vaccine for koalas
Australia has approved, for the first time, a unique vaccine against chlamydia in koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus). The bacterium Chlamydia pecorum causes severe disease in koalas, manifesting as blindness, infertility, urinary tract damage, and even death. In some regions, infection rates reach 50–70%.
The aim of the vaccine is to protect wild koala populations, requiring an extensive operation of capture, vaccination, and ongoing monitoring. It is a single-dose vaccine that had previously been tested in koalas at rehabilitation and rescue centers.
The product is a recombinant subunit vaccine based on the outer membrane proteins of the bacterium, combined with an adjuvant to enhance the immune response.
Nevertheless, some researchers criticize this approach, arguing that vaccinating tens of thousands of koalas in the wild is impractical, and that greater investment should be directed toward restoring and improving their natural habitat, which has been progressively degraded over the years.
