Locally produced FMD vaccine ‘huge milestone’ - Steenhuisen
Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen says the Botswana Vaccine Institute has confirmed the supply of 700,000 doses of foot-and-mouth disease vaccine by the end of this month.
On Friday, Steenhuisen visited the Agricultural Research Council Onderstepoort Veterinary Research facility to witness the finalisation of the first batch of locally produced FMD vaccines.
He said through the Botswana Vaccine Institute, South Africa has already acquired, monitored, and administered two million vaccines to date.
South Africa will receive monthly supplies of 700,000 doses in April, May, and June.
In addition to this, Steenhuisen said the resumption of locally produced foot-and-mouth disease vaccines is part of a long-term plan to protect farmers, stop the disease, and regain the country’s foot-and-mouth disease-free status.
The first batch of 12,900 doses was handed over on Friday.
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Steenhuisen added that a nationwide rollout is planned, with 20,000 doses per week from March, supported by strict vaccination controls.
“Our targets for the 12-month period are 80% vaccination of targeted herds and a 70% reduction in the incidence of FMD,” he said.
Steenhuisen reiterated that the long-term goal is for South Africa to regain its FMD-free status with the World Organisation for Animal Health, a critical step in safeguarding farmer livelihoods, food security and agricultural trade.
“This is a huge milestone in our fight against foot and mouth disease in South Africa, and I'm very proud of the work done by the ARC and others in developing this vaccine.
“We can roll out the strategy that I've recently announced of vaccinating the national herd.”
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