January 27, 2011

South Korea may take longer to develop FMD vaccine

As South Korea's President called for progression of vaccines for Foot and Mouth disease (FMD) on Monday (Jan 24) to fight the disease, it will take a prolonged time before the nation can develop it, according to analysts.

President Lee Myung-bak's remark came as the disease has spread to most parts of the country with over two million animals having been culled despite nationwide quarantine operations, causing unprecedented financial damage worth more than KRW2 trillion (US$1.79 billion).
 

"Examining the whole situation, I realize we're no longer safe from the disease," President Lee said in a nationally televised speech. "As the world is connected like a net, dangerous elements like the FMD virus can spread globally very quickly. Traditional quarantine efforts have limits and vaccination is the best solution, given the circumstances."

However, the development plan will not be an instant solution to the current epidemic as it takes more than a year to produce a reliable and accredited vaccine.

Following the remark, the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said it will form a taskforce to review necessary steps. The National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service (NVRQS), a unit of the ministry, will undertake the task.

"We'll maintain the current quarantine efforts to tackle the epidemic, and the development of a vaccine will be a precautionary measure for a possible outbreak in the future," said an official from the NVRQS. "It will be a long-term project that requires a lot of financial investment and manpower."