TBA Veterinary Notice - Equine Influenza vaccinations for foals born from 2022
The changes to the BHA rules of racing (confirmed October 2021) regarding Equine Influenza vaccinations, are due to be implemented on 1 January 2022. The amendments to the primary course and booster intervals (detailed in the table below) will harmonise the requirements for racehorses competing across Britain, Ireland, France and Germany.
All thoroughbred foals born from 2022 onwards should be started as per the new vaccination interval rules to ensure their future eligibility to race. Likewise, any yearlings, stores, resting or rehabilitating thoroughbreds on stud farms, who are destined for a racing career and who still need to commence Equine Influenza vaccinations from 1 January 2022 onwards, should also comply with the new intervals.
Remember to upload the Equine Influenza vaccinations for your foals and young stock to the Weatherbys Vaccination App (as well as updating the paper passport), so that the records are available on the horse's e-passport. Equine Influenza vaccinations must be verified via the Vaccination App, in order for a thoroughbred to be declared to run in Britain and Ireland.
The TBA recommends that broodmares and stallions are given Equine Influenza boosters every six months, but advice should be sought from each boarding stud or stallion station you intend to use, on their specific requirements.
Equine Influenza vaccination intervals:
Further information supplied by the BHA:
Primary course intervals
• Primary course intervals are only required for horses that have not yet been administered a primary course or are required to re-start a new primary course.
• Horses that have a compliant primary course and compliant subsequent boosters up to and including 31 December 2021 do not have to re-start the vaccination process.
• Any horse starting a new primary course up to and including 31 December should continue with the current intervals, even if V2 and V3 are administered in 2022.
• Any horse starting a primary course from 01 January 2022 must comply with the new intervals.
Six-monthly boosters
• Boosters should be administered no more than six months apart, according to calendar months rather than a fixed number of days. For example, a horse that is fully vaccinated on 01 January would require a booster on or before 01 July.
• We ask that trainers seek to move to the new vaccination schedule as soon as practicable. However, to help trainers implement the changes with minimal disruption to training, horses should be fully compliant with the new requirements by 01 January 2023.
• This means that before 01 January 2023, race entry will not be refused on the ground of having not yet commenced six-monthly boosters.
• As of 01 January 2023, an Entry for a Race, or a Confirmation of Entry in respect of Early Closers, will not be accepted for any horse unless it has a correct vaccination record.
• To be clear: all horses must have a compliant vaccination record by 01 January 2023 (i.e.) all horses must have been administered a booster within six months of 01 January 2023.
o Horses which are due an annual booster between 01 January 2022 – 30 June 2022 will require a booster vaccination between 01 July 2022 – 31 December 2022 in order to be compliant by 01 January 2023.
o Horses which are due an annual booster between 01 July 2022 – 31 December 2022 will be compliant by 01 January 2023.
o NB horses which are vaccinated on 01 July 2022 will be due their next booster on or before 01 January 2023.
• As under the existing Rules, there is no minimum interval for boosters.
• Horses which do not have a compliant vaccination record as of 01 January 2023 will be required to re-start. Horses which have an interval of over six months between boosters will be required to re-start.