[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Notice of Intent To Destroy Outdated Hog Cholera Vaccine Seed 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Inspection Service is proposing to destroy outdated seed virus and 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 All of this material is now outdated, and the most 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