Why New COVID-19 Vaccines May Require A 'Monkey Reserve'
02/23/21 AT 3:56 PM
As COVID-19 vaccine research continues, labs find themselves facing critical shortages of research animals due to slashed colony budgets and disrupted international trade. Virus variants could require new vaccines, and some labs are calling for emergency funding to try and catch up.
The pandemic presented a perfect storm to create a shortage: a massive spike in demand for specialized test monkeys collided with years of reduced budgets and trade problems with China, the leading exporter of the animals, The New York Times reports. The combined effect sent prices above $10,000 per monkey--if they were even for sale.