Koalas to be vaccinated against Chlamydia

Australia has officially approved the world’s first vaccine to protect endangered koalas from chlamydia, a major step forward for a disease that has been devastating their populations.

It was developed by the University of the Sunshine Coast. The single-dose vaccine is a major breakthrough in koala conservation.

The prime motive in creating the vaccine is to protect koalas from infertility, urinary infections and even death.

It has been observed that Chlamydia has been disseminating through koala populations since the 1990s.

In some colonies on Australia’s east and southeast coasts, the infection rate is as high as 100%.

Only 50,000 to 80,000 koalas have remained in the world, and experts are concerned that the species could dissipate from certain regions within a generation.

Unlike antibiotics, which can harm koalas by disrupting the gut bacteria required to digest eucalyptus leaves, this vaccine offers promising results and lasting protection.

In this connection, several trials were conducted, and promising results were found.

The 2024 study revealed that the vaccine mitigated the likelihood of koalas developing several symptoms during breeding age and lessened mortality from chlamydia by at least 65%.

Upon testing on hundreds of wild koalas, the vaccine has been proven to reduce infection and ultimately prevent the disease from worsening.

The development of the vaccine primarily involved a global collaboration, comprising contributions from Canada's University of Saskatchewan and the University of British Columbia, as well as backing from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

The new chlamydia vaccine for koalas will be rolled out in January 2026 prioritizing wildlife hospitals and high-risk populations.

This is a major scientific development, and researchers emphasize that it is not a complete solution.

The current need is to address other significant threats to the species survival, including climate change, habitat loss, and wildfires.