The current whole-cell vaccine and protocol for Q fever prophylaxis are effective
At the end of 2006, the Australian Ministers for Health and Agriculture announced funding for an upgraded facility to allow CSL Limited to recommence production of the Q fever vaccine (Q-Vax) and comply with changed biocontainment regulations.1 Production of the vaccine had ceased at the end of 2005 because of inability to meet these new regulations and other production pressures. Federal government support is a welcome step forward in the control of a major infective disease in Australia, and comes as a substantial relief to the rural community and meat processors. In addition, it keeps faith with the considerable efforts by state health department immunisation teams and medical practitioners to extend the use of the vaccine from abattoirs to the at-risk rural community during the government-subsidised National Q Fever Management Program, 2001–2003/2004 (http://www.immunise.health.gov.au/internet/immunise/publishing.nsf/Content/q-fever-man).
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Dedicated to the memory of R A (Dick) Ormsbee, who with Paul Fiset developed an improved whole-cell Q fever vaccine (1960–1970) and saw its protective efficacy and licensing in 1989 before his untimely death in an accident in 1991.