A vaccine designed to protect Australia’s endangered koalas from chlamydia has received regulatory approval for rollout for the first time. Scientists at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) spent over a decade developing the jab to halt the disease ravaging wild populations across eastern Australia.
Peter Timms, a lead researcher, said some wild colonies face infection rates as high as 70% and edge closer to extinction every day. With regulatory approval secured, the team now seeks major funding to distribute the vaccine to wildlife hospitals, veterinary clinics, and koalas in the wild.
“It has been a long road with moments we nearly gave up,” Dr Timms said. “Today is a very exciting day.”
Chlamydia threatens koalas’ survival
Chlamydia spreads through close contact or mating and can cause urinary tract infections, conjunctivitis, blindness, and infertility. The disease proves fatal in many cases. Both male and female koalas can contract a strain different from humans, and joeys can catch it while feeding in their mother’s pouch.
Treatment carries risks. Antibiotics can destroy the gut bacteria that koalas need to digest eucalyptus leaves, potentially leading to starvation. The disease has killed thousands, accounting for nearly 50% of all koala deaths. Experts estimate only 50,000 remain in the wild, and extinction in some states could occur within a generation.
Vaccine trials show promising results
UniSC’s single-dose vaccine underwent trials on hundreds of wild koalas. Federal regulators approved it based on ten years of research, the largest and longest study ever on wild koalas. Sam Phillips from UniSC said the vaccine reduced the likelihood of symptomatic infection during breeding age and decreased mortality by at least 65%.
The research team hopes to provide the vaccine free of charge and begin distribution as early as January, prioritizing wildlife hospitals and the most at-risk populations. However, locating, catching, and inoculating wild koalas remains extremely costly, and the team lacks full funding to expand the rollout.
“Securing funding to move from trials to real-world application would be incredible,” Dr Timms said. He emphasized that the vaccine alone cannot save the species. Addressing habitat loss and other threats remains crucial. “If you haven’t got a tree, nothing else matters,” he added.
Government action supports koala conservation
Environment Minister Murray Watt said the vaccine will help future generations see koalas in the wild. The government also focuses on monitoring populations and restoring habitats. Recently, New South Wales announced an addition of 176,000 hectares to existing reserves, creating the Great Koala National Park, promised two years ago.
The park will protect an estimated 12,000 koalas and provide a habitat for over 100 other threatened species. Conservationists hope combining vaccination, habitat protection, and species monitoring will give koalas a stronger chance to survive in the wild.
