ABSTRACT
During the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the main weapons against the SAR-CoV-2 virus for humans was the use of vaccines, and much of the human population has been inoculated, at least once. However, were such vaccines used, or developed for use, on animals? The technology used for creating vaccines is briefly covered as well as how it was rolled out across the human population. Alternatives were mooted, and some of these are briefly reviewed. However, vaccines were developed and used for animals, and some of these are discussed. When calls were made for more use of vaccines in the human population, an ethical debate arose as to whether vaccine use on animals was valid. Animals, as model organisms, were also used in the development of human vaccines as well as in the production of such vaccines. Such issues will certainly be pertinent for any future pandemic, and vaccines will remain as a major part of our armoury to protect both humans and other animals.
