May 1, 2009

Malaysia livestock farmers want immediate approval of pig vaccinations

The Federation of Livestock Farmers Associations of Malaysia has urged the Veterinary Services Department (VSD) to approve H1N1 vaccine for pigs to prevent the spread of a deadly strain of swine flu.

After meeting with the VSD, the federation's pig unit chairman Beh Kim Hee hopes that the government would also shoulder the costs of the imports once the vaccine has been approved.

VSD director-general Datuk Dr Abdul Aziz Jamaluddin on Monday (April 27) said pigs should be injected with the H1N1 vaccine as a preventive measure and that the department was waiting for a directive from the Health Ministry to vaccinate livestock.

The federation's market development manager Dr Khaw Eng Sun said that they have applied for the vaccine five years for a possible outbreak although the vaccine had not been used on pigs locally.

Asked if it would be too late for the vaccine now, Beh is confident that once the vaccine is approved, it would be flown in immediately.

He also said state VSDs had met with pig farmers nationwide yesterday to brief them on preventive measures to detect possible swine flu infections. The federation would adhere to all VSD directives to keep farms free of the disease, he said.

The VSD is also monitoring the health status of 797 pig farms in the country.
 

Beh said the federation would support a ban on the import of live pigs, frozen pork and pork products.