AMES, Iowa – The US Department of Agriculture’s Center for Veterinary Biologics (CVB) approved the license of Harrisvaccines’ swine flu vaccine, the company announced Sept. 20.

The vaccine is for the swine influenza virus H3N2. The company said its vaccine is the first that allows for manufacture without isolating a live virus from infected animals. The vaccine can be prepared within four weeks using a gene from an infected animal. Harrisvaccines initially submitted its product to USDA CVB for licensing in 2009.

“We were founded in 2006, so this has been a long, challenging road to licensure for a novel technology to be used in animal health,” said Dr. D.L. “Hank” Harris, Harrisvaccines founder and president. “These USDA licenses mark a major milestone, and perhaps most importantly, signal that this technology is a key fixture in our country’s continuing fight against biological threats and ever-changing pathogens.”