24 April 2017
Gary Stephenson
Care of FYI Website
Dear Gary
OFFICIAL INFORMATION ACT REQUEST
I refer to your requests under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act) for information relating to
vaccines against Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV), which the Hon Nathan Guy, Minister for
Primary Industries, transferred to us on 23 March 2017.
Your first request was:
“Can you please detail the testing that has been done in Australia to test the efficacy of the Cylap
vaccine against the Rabbit Haemorrhagic Virus known as K5. This information wil be known within the
Rabbit co-ordination group of which the Ministry of Primary Industries is a member and also within the
independent but wholely owned Crown entity Landcare Research:
Number of rabbits groups and number of rabbits in each group; Numbers vaccinated and unvaccinated
rabbits; The different levels of Cylap dose used Number of days fol owing vaccination at which they
were challenged with the virus; How the virus challenge was conducted. Number of days monitored
since challenge; How 6 monthly protocol of vaccination was developed and tested to prove efficacy;
How long-term efficacy (6 to 12 month) was tested; How safety of 6 month vaccination regime was
tested; The level at which the Cylap vaccine manufacturer was involved; How this testing meets the
AVCM regulations.”
Some information relevant to this request is publicly available through these websites:
http://www.pestsmart.org.au/rhdv-k5-what-about-my-pet-rabbit/
http://www.pestsmart.org.au/minimise-rhdv1-infection-in-pet-rabbits/
Any other information relevant to your request that we hold was provided to us in confidence by
Australian research collaborators on the condition that its inclusion in applications for regulatory
approvals would be in the form of a confidential appendix. Consequently, I am refusing your request
under section 9(2)(ba)(i) of the Act, as withholding the information is necessary to protect information
which is subject to an obligation of confidence. We believe that making this information available
would be likely to prejudice the supply of similar information from the same source and we believe it is
essential for our research on control ing pest animal species that we have continued access to such
confidential information.
You also requested:
“Please supply details that would be known to Landcare Research. A crown entity under your control,
about the new Rabbit Haemorrhagic Virus vaccine developed in Australia.
What stage of development is the Vaccine at?
Will it / has been fully tested to Registration standards?
What variants of the Rabbit Haemorrhagic Virus is it designed to protect against?
When will it be available in New Zealand?”
Information that would enable us to supply any details on a new RHDV vaccine is not known to or held
by us, therefore I am declining this part of your request in accordance with section 18(g) of the Act.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of these decisions in
accordance with section 28(3) of the Act.
Yours sincerely
Richard Gordon
Chief Executive
CC
Hon Nathan Guy
Minister for Primary Industries
Your ref: MinOIA 17-0008
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