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The Detroit Zoo announced Monday that animals most susceptible to COVID-19 would be getting vaccinated.
According to WXYZ, the zoo stated that the animals most susceptible to catching COVID-19 are gorillas, chimpanzees, tigers, and lions and they will all be receiving the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The zoo will not be using the same vaccine designed for humans. Instead, they will be using a special vaccine developed for animals by the veterinary pharmaceutical company, Zoetis.
"The animals routinely get other vaccinations. Many of the mammals are trained to present themselves to our animal care staff for minor medical procedures, including vaccinations. We're both thankful and relieved a special vaccine is now available to protect against COVID-19," said Scott Carter, chief life sciences officer for the DZS.
So far, no animals at the Detroit Zoo have contracted COVID-19.
A July news release from Zoetis states that the vaccine has been authorized on a case-by-case basis by the United States Department of Agriculture.
"When the first dog was infected with COVID-19 in Hong Kong last year, we immediately began to work on a vaccine that could be used in domestic animals, and in eight months we completed our initial safety studies, which we presented at the World One Health Congress last year. While thankfully a COVID-19 vaccine is not needed in pets or livestock at this time, we are proud that our work can help zoo animals at risk of COVID-19," said Mahesh Kumar, Senior Vice President of Global Biologics at Zoetis.