The National Office of Animal Health (NOAH) has chosen today – World Animal Vaccination Day – to launch this year’s #VaccinesWork campaign.

A recent survey showed people know vaccination is good for animal health and that having healthy animals benefits usand our environment.

NOAH said its campaign will highlight the importance of innovation to produce new vaccines. Equally, it will explain how we need to work together to improve the uptake of the vaccines already available to protect UK animals.

The survey found very good awareness of what vaccines do and their benefits. People agreed that they should be usedregularly in pets and farm animals, with 79% agreeing farm animals should be vaccinated regularly. For pets this was even higher at 81%.

Importantly, 69% supported the use of new technologies for animal vaccinations, paving the way to innovation, research and development, to protect the health of UK animals.

NOAH chief executive Dawn Howard said: “The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a spotlight on the importance of vaccination in helping to protect us from disease and to reduce the transmission of infection. It has shown how industry can work alongside others to address threats from emerging diseases – it has undoubtedly helped improve publicunderstanding of the importance of vaccination.

“Our industry can respond to emerging animal diseases, helping slow or even halt their transmission, including through the development of new, innovative vaccines. With the forthcoming review of the UK veterinary regulatory processlater this year, we have an opportunity to ensure the UK can incentivise innovation, product research and development, including for novel vaccines.”

Ms Howard added: “As we move into a new phase of the pandemic, it is right that animal vaccination should be a priority in the UK and globally. Because after all, #VaccinesWork.”