Sheep Pox Vaccination: “No EU-Approved Vaccines” Says EFSA

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) could not draw definitive conclusions on vaccination implementation against sheep and goat pox (SGP) in Greece and Bulgaria. Its scientific report states that applying the same mathematical kernel-based model used for Bulgaria failed to yield reliable results for Greece. Preliminary analysis of outbreak data—even when limited to spatially and temporally confined clusters—failed to produce trustworthy kernel parameter estimates. Initial simulations showed simple distance-based models cannot capture SGP dynamics in Greece, as they ignore natural barriers like mountains and islands. Consequently, EFSA explicitly discontinued use of the kernel-based model for assessing SGP spread or vaccination impact in Greece. A robust simulation would require detailed animal movement data and a more complex model—unfeasible within the assessment’s timeframe. Descriptive spatiotemporal analysis identified ten distinct outbreak clusters across Greece, indicating long-distance movement of infected animals. Crucially, EFSA confirms: “Currently, no SGP vaccines are approved in the European Union,” and clarifies its experts do not evaluate vaccines for marketing authorization.