The status and role of vaccines in the U.S. food animal industry. Implications for biological terrorism.

This paper was intended to highlight some of the disease agents that could be used effectively in acts of terrorism. In terms of vaccine countermeasures, we face situations on both ends of the spectrum--(1) we and other nations have not invested enough and have not been successful in developing or licensing any protective vaccines and (2) where vaccines are available but not commercially used due to current FAD policies we have not stockpiled them in sufficient doses should regular practices fail to contain an outbreak. It is hoped that this paper provokes additional thought and planning for those government agencies involved in the business of national food animal agricultural welfare. Vaccine technologies are available or are being developed to provide new and improved vaccines against these highly contagious agents.