The first batch of one million high-potency foot-and-mouth disease vaccine doses from Argentina is scheduled to arrive in SA this weekend, agriculture minister John Steenhuisen said on Tuesday.
He said the shipment was the first phase of a broader agreement, with a further five million doses set to follow in March.
These vaccines are a critical component of the department of agriculture’s new strategy against FMD, where the national herd of over 14 million cattle will be pro-actively vaccinated to ensure SA transitions to “FMD-free status with vaccination”.
He said in addition to the Argentine supply, the Botswana Vaccine Institute has delivered two million doses to date since the recent outbreak and is scheduled to provide doses of FMD vaccine on a monthly basis. Vaccines will also be supplied by Dollvet in Turkey.
Last year, Steenhuisen called on the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) to fast-track its production of the locally produced FMD vaccine that can protect livestock for up to 12 months.
On February 6, the ARC handed Steenhuisen the first batch of 12,900 locally produced FMD vaccines in over 20 years. These vaccines have subsequently been distributed to the provinces for vaccination. The ARC has committed to produce 20,000 vaccines per week and scaling up to 200,000 per week in 2027.
By the end of March, over five million vaccines will have entered the country from the three international suppliers.
To better support the farming community, the department has established a dedicated FMD control centre. From Wednesday, farmers can access a toll-free support line for expert guidance on the FMD at 0860 246 640.
The department said the country had 836 open outbreaks as reported to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) as on February 16.
Open outbreaks indicate outbreaks that have not yet been resolved and closed with the WOAH. These may be locations with current active viral circulation, or locations with previous outbreaks that are in the process of being resolved.
The most open outbreaks are in the Free State (245), followed by KwaZulu-Natal (202), Gauteng (188) and North West (106). Mpumalanga recorded 63 open outbreaks, while Eastern Cape recorded 18, Limpopo 10, Western Cape had three and Northern Cape had one recorded open outbreak.
“This vaccination roll-out marks the beginning of restoring stability to the livestock sector and rebuilding confidence in our animal-health system,” Steenhuisen said.
TimesLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.