Far fewer animals are now used to release batches of veterinary vaccines in the UK than a decade ago, according to new figures from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD), Pig World reports.

The average number of animals needed to check the quality, safety and effectiveness of a single vaccine batch fell 41%, from 29 in 2013 to 17 in 2024, and overall animal use fell 29% even as more vaccines were released. The share of vaccines on the UK market that need any animal testing in quality control dropped from 74% to 34%.

The VMD credits advances in science and changes to testing requirements, which increasingly allow animal tests to be replaced; scrapping the routine Target Animal Batch Safety Test in 2013 was a major turning point, cutting animal use by thousands a year.

Animal testing has not yet been replaced for every vaccine type, and for some, alternatives remain "scientifically and technically challenging", the directorate said. Work continues with scientists, regulators and industry on new approaches that keep vaccines safe and effective for farmers, vets and pet owners.

"Better science means we can reduce animal testing, while still giving farmers, vets and pet owners the vaccines they rely on," said Baroness Hayman, Defra minister for biosecurity.

The report was written by Alistair Driver for Pig World.

Photo: USDA ARS / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Source: Pig World