[Federal Register: January 5, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 2)]
[Notices]
[Page 260]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05ja09-25]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2008-0144]
Notice of Intent To Destroy Outdated Hog Cholera Vaccine Seed
Stock
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service is proposing to destroy outdated seed virus and
other materials previously used to prepare hog cholera vaccine and
antiserum.
DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before
February 4, 2009.
ADDRESSES: You may send your comments to USDA, APHIS, VS, Center for
Veterinary Biologics, Policy Evaluation and Licensing, 510 South 17th
Street, Suite 104, Ames, IA 50010; Attention: Ms. Chelsea J. Bare. You
may also e-mail your comments to Chelsea.J.Bare@aphis.usda.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Albert P. Morgan, Section Leader,
Operational Support Section, Center for Veterinary Biologics,
Veterinary Services, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 148, Riverdale, MD;
phone (301) 734-8245, fax (301) 734-4314.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The preparation of hog cholera vaccine was
banned in the United States in 1969. Concurrent with the ban on vaccine
production, vaccine manufacturers and farmer cooperatives involved in
vaccine production and distribution were required to surrender vaccine
seed stocks and remaining product inventory to the U.S. Department of
Agriculture for safekeeping. This material has remained securely stored
at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, IA,
since that time. All of this material is now outdated, and the most
recent inventory of the stored product revealed a significant
deterioration of packaging and labeling that makes accurate
identification of the virus stocks difficult, and raises additional
concerns regarding whether such material can continue to be safely
stored given the deteriorating condition of its packaging. Thus, we are
advising interested parties that, unless substantial issues are raised
in response to this notice, APHIS intends to destroy all remaining seed
stocks and other material collected from producers/cooperators in
response to the ban on hog cholera vaccine and serum production
following the close of the comment period for this notice (see DATES
above). The destruction of those materials will be accomplished by
autoclaving and/or incineration on site at NVSL.
Done in Washington, DC, this 23rd day of December 2008.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. E8-31370 Filed 1-2-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P