{
  "id": 7776678,
  "title": "Russian authorities order destruction of vaccine batch linked to mass dog deaths",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/russian-authorities-order-destruction-of-vaccine-batch-linked-to-mass",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-16T11:50:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Meduza (English)",
    "slug": "meduza-english",
    "url": "https://meduza.io/en/news/2026/09/16/russian-authorities-order-destruction-of-vaccine-batch-linked-to-mass-dog-deaths"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance has ordered the recall and destruction of a specific batch of the “Multikan-8” vaccine, which has been linked to the deaths of numerous dogs. The vaccine manufacturer, “Vetbiokhim,” is required to initiate the recall process and report back to the supervisory agency. The reason for targeting only one batch remains undisclosed.\n\nReports of mass dog deaths following vaccination with the “Multikan-8” vaccine have surfaced in mid-August, with claims of at least 300 animals perishing across various regions of Russia. Pet owners have expressed their concerns, prompting lawmakers in the State Duma to investigate the matter. However, precise figures on the total number of deceased dogs remain unknown.\n\nUpon receiving reports of dog deaths, Rosselkhoznadzor's regional office and the prosecutor's office in Yaroslavl initiated an inspection of “Vetbiokhim.” Despite the findings, no official reports have been released. Some affected pet owners have suspected contamination of the vaccine with the Aujeszky's disease virus, which shares similar symptoms with the deceased dogs. Yet, unofficial testing of vaccine samples reportedly detected the presence of the virus, leading to uncooperative behavior by laboratories, citing \"pressure from above.\"\n\nOn the other hand, “Vetbiokhim” maintains that their laboratory tests have not found any contamination with the Aujeszky's disease virus. Earlier this month, Meduza reported that “Vetbiokhim” had reached settlement agreements with affected pet owners. The company denied any connection between the vaccine and the dog deaths, offering compensation instead. These agreements, however, required owners to waive any legal claims against “Vetbiokhim” and refrain from discussing the incident publicly without the company's consent.\n\nThe \"Multikan-8\" vaccine is designed to protect dogs against canine distemper, adenovirus infections, parvovirus, coronavirus enteritis, leptospirosis, and rabies. Due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and subsequent Western sanctions, imported veterinary drugs, including rabies vaccines, have become scarce in the Russian market. Consequently, veterinary clinics heavily rely on locally produced products. Meduza, the news outlet responsible for reporting this story, employs a combination of human journalists and AI technology to ensure the accuracy and timeliness of their English-language content.",
  "summary": "Rosselkhoznadzor, Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, has ordered the recall and destruction of batch No. 20 of the “Multikan-8” vaccine, which has been linked to dog deaths. The agency sent the order in a letter (.pdf) to the vaccine’s manufacturer, the company “Vetbiokhim,” and published the document on its website.",
  "key_points": [
    "Russian authorities order recall and destruction of specific \"Multikan-8\" vaccine batch.",
    "At least 300 dogs died after vaccination with the vaccine in mid-August.",
    "Vetbiokhim denies Aujeszky's disease virus contamination claim."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}