S.A. Zoo giving animals COVID-19 vaccine
SAN ANTONIO — Even big cats and monkeys are getting vaccinated against COVID-19.
The San Antonio Zoo said it’s scheduled to receive its first shipment of a COVID-19 vaccine being distributed by the veterinary pharmaceutical company Zoetis. The drug has been authorized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The first doses will be administered in the coming weeks. The Houston Zoo has not yet announced vaccinations.
“Our veterinary and animal care teams have worked incredibly hard to protect and prevent our animals from contracting COVID-19 through increased disinfection, personal protective equipment and new guest procedures,” said Tim Morrow, the zoo’s president and CEO. “Vaccinating our animals is one more important step.”
African lions and Sumatran tigers will be among the first to receive the vaccine in San Antonio. Among the first primates to be vaccinated are the white-cheeked gibbons and the François’ langur.
More species, including monStates keys and ferrets, are due to receive the vaccine as it becomes available, zoo officials said.
The vaccine is similar but not identical to the vaccine developed for humans. Animals will require a booster shot three weeks after the first injection, zoo officials said.
Several zoos across the United have reported animals contracting the virus, including tigers and lions at the Bronx Zoo and a gorilla troop at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
Lions and tiger cubs have died from the virus in zoos in India and Pakistan.
In February, the San Diego Zoo became the first in the country to receive the vaccine, according to National Geographic. Several zoos followed, including the Detroit Zoological Society on Monday.
After the Oakland Zoo announced plans to vaccinate some of its animals in July, it faced intense backlash from anti-vaxxers.
Animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals later put out a statement in support of the Oakland Zoo and vaccines.
“These vaccines have been clinically tested and administered to animals only after deep consideration by veterinary professionals. Since growing numbers of big cats, apes, and otters in zoos are contracting SARSCoV-2 — the virus that causes COVID-19 — from asymptomatic humans, the evidence clearly indicates that the benefits of vaccination in susceptible species far outweigh the dire risks of infection for unvaccinated animals.”
However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Small Animal Veterinary Association have not recommended vaccinating pets, saying “the need for a vaccine to lessen clinical signs of COVID-19 in dogs and cats is questionable.”
In a news release, the San Antonio Zoo did not say whether COVID-19 infections have been found in its animals. The zoo did not respond to a request for comment.