In a government building in Ames, Iowa, more than 130 scientists, inspectors, and analysts stand on the front lines of countless overlapping and urgent public health challenges. No, it’s not a secret lab that researches classified germs or apocalyptic epidemics. It’s the United States Department of Agriculture’s Center for Veterinary Biologics, whose work touches every pet, every flock and herd of livestock, and potentially every human in our country.
Unfortunately, their work is at risk, which puts us all at risk.
CVB is responsible for reviewing and approving vaccines that are used to prevent diseases in pets, food animals, and wildlife. These are the professionals who make sure that through your veterinarian, your dog or cat has access to the medicines that keep them healthy from diseases like distemper and feline AIDS. CVB also ensures that we can undertake legally mandated pet care, such as administering the vaccine to prevent rabies, which is deadly in people, pets, and wildlife.
And when it comes to food safety, the vaccines and other biologics monitored and approved by CVB are essential for preventing disease outbreaks in food animals that are critical to the U.S. food supply. Healthy animals lead to healthy food.
As if that weren’t enough, CVB has the potential to play a critical role in the global fight against antibiotic resistance. We all agree that antibiotic resistance is a public health priority. In fact, Nov. 18–24 is World Antibiotic Awareness Week, a global effort to showcase coordinated actions aimed at reducing the need for antibiotics and ensuring that when antibiotics are used, they are used responsibly. The best strategy for reducing the threat of antibiotic resistance without compromising animal health is to reduce the need for antibiotics through better prevention, earlier detection, and more efficient treatment. And vaccines — like those reviewed and approved by CVB — are a promising medical approach to reducing the need for antibiotics in food animals.
To accomplish all of this, CVB operates on a modest budget of $16.5 million, a number that has been flat for at least 10 years. While CVB has commendably adopted changes to stretch limited dollars, those efforts are at a breaking point. Fortunately, a number of members in both the House and Senate recognize this need and have worked to provide increased funding to CVB in this year’s appropriations process. Currently, the House bill contains a $2 million increase for this important agency.
The old adage is that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Vaccines are the ounce of prevention, reducing the need for cures like antibiotics. And a small amount of congressional funding for this agency is an ounce of prevention that avoids future disease outbreaks that would demand more expensive cures.
As we recognize World Antibiotics Awareness Week, I hope Congress will join with the hundreds of countries and other stakeholders who have pledged to take action against antibiotic resistance. A fully funded Center for Veterinary Biologics is a high-impact investment that is critical to protecting the health of pets, livestock, and people.
Will McCauley is the director of veterinary biologics at the Animal Health Institute.
