May 7, 2026
Vietnam seeks to import SAT1 foot-and-mouth disease vaccine as new strain advances toward Southeast Asia
Hanoi moves to close a critical immunity gap in its livestock herd after the SAT1 strain reaches China's border provinces for the first time.
Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has proposed importing vaccines against the SAT1 serotype of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), after outbreaks of the strain were confirmed in cattle herds in China's Gansu and Xinjiang provinces in early April 2026, raising the risk of cross-border spread into Southeast Asia.
The SAT1 strain, which previously circulated mainly in Africa, has undergone rapid geographical migration since 2025, spreading to the Middle East and West Asia before reaching China's western provinces. FMD vaccines currently licensed in Vietnam only cover serotypes O, A and Asia1, leaving the country's entire susceptible livestock population without protective immunity against SAT1.
Vietnam's at-risk herd is substantial, comprising 31.4 million pigs, 6.14 million cattle, 1.95 million buffaloes and more than 3 million goats and sheep. As SAT1 has never previously circulated in Vietnam, authorities warn that infection rates in unprotected populations could reach as high as 100%, with potentially severe economic consequences for the livestock sector.
The ministry has formally proposed to the Prime Minister that the import of SAT1-licensed vaccines from countries where they are already approved be permitted on an emergency basis. Under the proposal, vaccines would be used at livestock farms to build proactive immunity ahead of any outbreak, and would also be deployed to contain outbreaks should the virus enter the country.
"Proactively allowing the import of SAT1 serotype FMD vaccine in case of emergency animal disease prevention and control is an urgent solution to create proactive immunity, protect livestock, minimise economic damage and ensure national disease safety," the ministry said in its report to the government.
- Nong Nghiep Vietnam
