The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board have today confirmed that changes to the primary course and booster schedule for Equine Influenza (EI) will come into effect on 1^st January 2022 following previous approval from the European Horseracing Scientific Liaison Committee (EHSLC).

Following consultation with experts in Equine Influenza from Ireland, Great Britain, France, EHSLC members and Trainers’ representative bodies, the EHSLC Board approved changes to the primary course and booster schedule for EI in December 2019 with the objective to harmonise the policy across Europe. These changes, which were due to come into effect from January 2021 in line with the British Horseracing Authority and France Galop, were subsequently delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The IHRB and BHA have this week confirmed amendments to their rules from 1^st January 2022 with this lead in time intended to give Trainers and Handlers to make the change with as little disruption to their racing plans as possible. These changes were implemented in France and Germany since 5^th May 2021.

From 1^st January 2022, the primary course and booster schedule for Equine Influenza (EI) vaccinations will be amended as follows:

Further details of how this staged approach with the prolonged lead-in will work are given below.

Primary course intervals

• Primary course intervals are only required for horses that have not yet been administered a primary course or are required to re-start a new primary course.
• Horses that have a compliant primary course and compliant subsequent boosters up to and including 31^st December 2021 do not have to re-start the vaccination process.
• Horses starting a new primary course up to and including 31^st December 2021 should continue with the current intervals, even if V2 and V3 are administered in 2022.
• Horses starting a primary course from 1^st January 2022 must comply with the new intervals.

Six-monthly boosters

• Boosters should be administered no more than six months apart, according to calendar months rather than a fixed number of days. For example, a horse that is fully vaccinated on 1^st January would require a booster on or before 1^st
• We ask that trainers move to the new vaccination schedule as soon as practicable. However, to help trainers implement the changes with minimal disruption to training, horses should be fully compliant with the new requirements by 1^st January 2023.
• To be clear: all horses must have a compliant vaccination record by 1^st January 2023 (i.e.) all horses must have been administered a booster within six months of 1^st January 2023.
  • Horses which are due an annual booster between 1^st January 2022 – 30^th June 2022 will require a booster vaccination between 1^st July 2022 – 31^st December 2022 in order to be compliant by 1^st January 2023.
  • Horses which are due an annual booster between 1^st July 2022 – 31^st December 2022 will be compliant by 1^st January 2023.
  • NB horses which are vaccinated on 1^st July 2022 will be due their next booster on or before 1^stJanuary 2023.
• As under the existing Rules, there is no minimum interval for boosters.
• Horses which do not have a compliant vaccination record as of 1^st January 2023 will be required to re-start. Horses which have an interval of over six months between boosters will be required to re-start.

EHV Vaccinations

There is no requirement for the administration of EHV Vaccinations under the IHRB Rules of Racing. This is reviewed on a regular basis by the IHRB Veterinary Committee.