Overview

• The APVMA cleared the UniSC-developed vaccine for use in wildlife hospitals, veterinary clinics and targeted field programs.
• The shot uses Chlamydia pecorum’s major outer membrane protein and showed three protections: lowering infection, blocking progression and sometimes reversing symptoms.
• Researchers designed the formulation as a single dose to suit wild, canopy-dwelling koalas that are difficult to recapture for boosters.
• National rollout depends on fundraising, production scale-up and logistics for reaching dispersed populations, with early distribution expected through wildlife hospitals and high-risk areas.
• Conservation groups welcomed the tool yet pressed for stronger habitat protection, highlighting ongoing tensions over funding priorities for koala recovery.