Humans are not the only living creatures at risk during flu season. In fact, the close tie between primates, such as orangutans, and their human caregivers make them susceptible for human illnesses.
Joseph McBride, MD, assistant professor, Division of Infectious Diseases, recently collaborated with colleagues at UW Health and UnityPoint Health, as well as Henry Vilas Zoo’s veterinarian to create a plan to vaccinate and protect three orangutans from the flu.
McBride has been involved with immunizations of the orangutans at Henry Vilas Zoo since December 2023. His involvement began with his role as medical director at UnityPoint Health – Meriter for Infection Prevention and Antimicrobial Stewardship.
In general, the guidelines for vaccinating primates follow the American Academy of Pediatrics human vaccine guidelines with the addition of the rabies vaccine. Humans and primates even share the same vaccine doses.
The vaccines were donated by UnityPoint Health – Meriter and include influenza and MMR vaccines for both the adult and young orangutans, as well as diphtheria, tetanus, polio, and hepatitis B for the youngest orangutan, Mendaji.
“An especially impressive aspect of the vaccination is that the veterinary staff have trained Mendaji and her mother to present their arms willingly for the vaccine,” McBride explained. “It is inspiring and shows the incredible partnership and trust between zoo staff and the animals. That is aspirational for us physicians to reach our human patients the same way.”
WMTV 15 News published “Henry Vials Zoo Announces Orangutan Vaccination” on January 12, 2026.