Scientists at the University of Stirling in Scotland have been awarded over £770,000 to support the rollout of a new vaccine aimed at benefiting the aquaculture industry. 

The project, led by the university's institute of aquaculture, builds on previous research focused on developing an innovative vaccine to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Vietnamese catfish.

This project, known as InnoVet-AMR, is funded through the Global Antimicrobial Resistance Innovation Fund, with financial backing from Canada's International Development Research Centre and the UK Department of Health and Social Care.

"Vaccine hesitancy remains high, combined with poor antibiotic stewardship, which has severely impacted the sector," Margaret Crumlish, who heads the initiative, highlighted, also urging to address this situation in Vietnam's pangasius sector, which is facing a significant AMR crisis due to the overuse of antibiotics.

Bacterial infections among catfish in Vietnam have led to extensive antibiotic use. Previous research indicates that 80% of farmers rely on a mix of antibiotics rather than effective therapeutic approaches. Despite the availability of a commercial vaccine since 2013, adoption has been limited.

The first phase of the study, which began in 2019 and lasted four-and-a-half years, successfully developed vaccines against two major bacterial diseases -- Edwardsiella ictaluri and Aeromonas hydrophila -- and assessed their feasibility for use in Vietnamese farms.

The vaccine demonstrated a 70% efficacy against both diseases.

The upcoming phase, running until October 2026, will focus on advancing the vaccine's production and exploring strategies to encourage farmers to reduce antibiotic use in favor of vaccination. The researchers will also investigate whether attitudes toward vaccination have shifted since the COVID-19 pandemic, potentially easing vaccine hesitancy.