California vaccinated group of great apes with COVID-19 shots

A group of great apes at the San Diego Zoo are the first known nonhuman primates to receive a COVID-19 vaccine in the United States, according to National Geographic.

Four orangutans and five bonobos that reside at the zoo each received two doses of an experimental vaccine for animals last month developed by veterinary pharmaceutical company Zoetis. Among the group is an orangutan named Karen, who in 1994 became the first ape to undergo open-heart surgery.

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The animals have had no adverse side effects, and blood tests will soon determine whether they developed antibodies.

The vaccination of the apes was prompted by the infection of a group of gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park in January, the first known cases of COVID-19 among primates other than humans.

Eight gorillas living together in one exhibit all tested positive for the virus and experienced a range of symptoms including runny noses, coughing and reduced appetite. One silverback gorilla developed pneumonia and heart disease. The animals are thought to have contracted the virus from an employee who tested positive. The animals are re... (Read more)

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