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With You in the Fight Against RHDV2 

We know rabbit owners love their rabbit just as much as any other pet owner loves theirs. Our love for pets is what drove us to develop our vaccine for RHDV2. Medgene Labs' vaccine is available now under Emergency Use Authorization from the USDA; a list of states where we are approved to distribute can be found below. 

 

Help us in the fight against RHDV2.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many doses come in a vial? 

Currently, the vaccine is available in a 10-dose vial. Medgene is working to add a single dose option to our offering. Due to supply chain constraints, the addition of single dose vials is not expected before the end of 2023. 

Is there a Vaccine for RHDV2?

 

Yes, Medgene Labs of Brookings, SD has developed a new vaccine and gained emergency use authorization by the USDA after review of current safety and challenge information.

What kind of vaccine is the Medgene Labs vaccine?

Medgene Labs vaccine is an inactivated recombinant subunit vaccine that builds immunity to RHDV-2 specific antigenic proteins in the rabbit. The immune system sees the RHDV-2 protein and learns to protect the rabbit from the virus.


The vaccine is administered through a subcutaneous injection and is comprised of a 2-dose regimen, with the second (booster) dose being delivered 21 days following the initial dose.

 

How effective is the vaccine in preventing RHDV2?

The vaccine has been shown to be highly effective in preventing death in a CVB-approved efficacy challenge study conducted at university facilities. During development, 100% of fully vaccinated rabbits  survived when challenged directly with RHDV-2 live virus.

Will my rabbit possibly infect other rabbits after being vaccinated?

No. This vaccine only uses parts (proteins) of RHDV2 to build immunity. It is impossible for a rabbit that receives this vaccine to shed any virus as it doesn't contain the full RHDV2 virus.

How long does it take for the vaccine to be effective?

The vaccine should be fully protective 14 days after the second vaccine booster, which would be 35 days after the first dose.

How effective is a single dose of the vaccine?

Due to the urgent need of a RHDV2 vaccine in the United States, Medgene has focused on producing the most protective and safest vaccine possible; at this time that requires a two-dose series 21 days apart.

How young can I administer the vaccine?

This vaccine has demonstrated safety when given at 4 weeks of age.

What side effects should I expect?

Rabbits may develop a small swelling at the site of the injection, develop a slight temporary fever, or be lethargic for a day or two.

Is it safe for pregnant and nursing does?

A full study on the safety in nursing and pregnant does has not yet been completed.

Is it safe for previously vaccinated rabbits to be vaccinated with the new vaccine? Will they need the initial booster? 

This vaccine has gone through safety testing in accordance with USDA standards. It has been determined to be safe and approved for use with a two-dose regimen.

What is the duration of immunity (when will I need to booster my rabbit)?

Medgene recommends working with your veterinarian to determine the appropriate vaccination schedule for your rabbit(s) and situation. We are working to collect data to better understand the duration of immunity in rabbits.

How many doses come in a vial? 

Currently, the vaccine is available in a 10-dose vial. Medgene is working to add a single dose option to our offering. Due to supply chain constraints, the addition of single dose vials is not expected before the end of 2023. 

Is there a Vaccine for RHDV2?

 

Yes, Medgene Labs of Brookings, SD has developed a new vaccine and gained emergency use authorization by the USDA after review of current safety and challenge information.

What kind of vaccine is the Medgene Labs vaccine?

Medgene Labs vaccine is an inactivated recombinant subunit vaccine that builds immunity to RHDV-2 specific antigenic proteins in the rabbit. The immune system sees the RHDV-2 protein and learns to protect the rabbit from the virus.


The vaccine is administered through a subcutaneous injection and is comprised of a 2-dose regimen, with the second (booster) dose being delivered 21 days following the initial dose.

 

How effective is the vaccine in preventing RHDV2?

The vaccine has been shown to be highly effective in preventing death in a CVB-approved efficacy challenge study conducted at university facilities. During development, 100% of fully vaccinated rabbits  survived when challenged directly with RHDV-2 live virus.

Will my rabbit possibly infect other rabbits after being vaccinated?

No. This vaccine only uses parts (proteins) of RHDV2 to build immunity. It is impossible for a rabbit that receives this vaccine to shed any virus as it doesn't contain the full RHDV2 virus.

How long does it take for the vaccine to be effective?

The vaccine should be fully protective 14 days after the second vaccine booster, which would be 35 days after the first dose.

How effective is a single dose of the vaccine?

Due to the urgent need of a RHDV2 vaccine in the United States, Medgene has focused on producing the most protective and safest vaccine possible; at this time that requires a two-dose series 21 days apart.

How young can I administer the vaccine?

This vaccine has demonstrated safety when given at 4 weeks of age.

What side effects should I expect?

Rabbits may develop a small swelling at the site of the injection, develop a slight temporary fever, or be lethargic for a day or two.

Is it safe for pregnant and nursing does?

A full study on the safety in nursing and pregnant does has not yet been completed.

Is it safe for previously vaccinated rabbits to be vaccinated with the new vaccine? Will they need the initial booster? 

This vaccine has gone through safety testing in accordance with USDA standards. It has been determined to be safe and approved for use with a two-dose regimen.

What is the duration of immunity (when will I need to booster my rabbit)?

Medgene recommends working with your veterinarian to determine the appropriate vaccination schedule for your rabbit(s) and situation. We are working to collect data to better understand the duration of immunity in rabbits.

How many doses come in a vial? 

Currently, the vaccine is available in a 10-dose vial. Medgene is working to add a single dose option to our offering. Due to supply chain constraints, the addition of single dose vials is not expected before the end of 2023. 

Vaccine Accessibility

Medgene Labs is actively engaged with state veterinarians to work through each state's requirements for distribution and reporting. We have currently completed the process with 45 state veterinarians as well as Washington DC. Below is a list of the states we are able to distribute RHDV2 vaccines to. We continue to work diligently to make this vaccine available nationwide to do our part in stopping this pandemic. This list will be updated as additional states are approved. 

 

Alabama

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut (approval on individual basis)

Delaware

Florida (approval on individual basis)

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maryland

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana (approval on individual basis)

 

Nebraska

Nevada

New Jersey 

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina (approval on individual basis)

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee (approval on individual basis)

Texas

Utah

Virginia

Washington

Washington D.C.

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Review

Rabbit hemorrhagic disease is a highly contagious, fatal disease in rabbits and is currently classified as a reportable, foreign animal disease in the United States. Animal health officials detected rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus serotype 2 (RHDV2) for the third time in the United States in February 2020. It has since been spreading across the country. It is important to note that RHDV2 does not impact human health.

 

RHDV2, unlike other rabbit hemorrhagic disease viruses, affects both domestic and wild rabbits. Infected rabbits may develop a fever, be hesitant to eat, or show respiratory or nervous signs.  However, many times, the only signs of the disease are sudden death.

How RHDV2 Spreads

RHDV2 can be spread through direct contact or exposure to an infected rabbit’s excretions or blood. The virus can also survive and be spread from carcasses, food, water, and any contaminated materials.  It has also been spread by insects. Because of survivability, people can spread the virus indirectly by carrying it on their clothing and shoes after being exposed to an infected animal or environment.  Thorough biosecurity and vaccination are the only way to protect your rabbits.
Source: usda.gov

 

Summary of Efficacy Study

A study was performed to evaluate the vaccine’s performance against direct challenge with live RHDV2 virus.  The study results in Table 1 (below) showed zero mortalities in the vaccinated group of rabbits and a 69% mortality rate in the placebo group after being challenged with the RHDV2 virus. The difference in mortality rates between the vaccinated and placebo groups was highly statistically significant with a p-value of 0.0017. 

 

 

Challenge Study Results

Table 1
 Mortality %
Treatment Group 1 (Placebo)69%
Treatment Group 2 (Vaccinates)0%
 P=0.0017

Safety Study Data

All safety studies have been completed and are under review by the CVB. Updates will be provided as soon as the studies have been approved.

 

 

Prior to receieving approval by the USDA for Emergency Use Authorization, 105 rabbits (kits and breeding stock in various stages of reproduction) were fully vaccinated and observed for safety concerns. Of these 105 rabbits, one kit and one adult rabbit exhibited minor post injection swelling at the site of administration. This swelling was resolved within 48 hours. 

 

Shipping Information

 

 

We ship Monday - Thursday via overnight carrier. 

 

To be eligible for same week shipping, we need to receive all completed paperwork by 1 pm central time on Wednesday.

 

 

Resources

 

 

For more information, the items below are available for you to download.

 

Product Summary Brochure
FAQ Brochure
RHD White Paper
Rabbit Challenge Study

Contact

605.697.2600

Location

1006 32ND AVENUE
BROOKINGS, SD, 57006 USA

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