June 29, 2026

 

WOAH publishes new guidelines to support evidence-based vaccine use for ASF

 

 

As African swine fever (ASF) continues to affect pig production, animal health systems, and safe trade worldwide, the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has published new guidelines to support evidence-based vaccine use.

 

The Guidelines for ASF vaccines: field evaluation and post-vaccination monitoring provide practical guidance to help members implement international standards and mitigate risks associated with substandard vaccines.

 

Developed with experts from The Pirbright Institute and the Centre for Applied One Health Research and Policy Advice at City University of Hong Kong, the guidelines are now available and provide a practical, field-oriented reference for veterinary services, competent authorities, and other stakeholders involved in vaccine deployment.

 

ASF vaccination is rapidly evolving. While vaccine candidates are under development and some live attenuated virus vaccines have received regulatory approval in certain countries, WOAH emphasises that only high-quality vaccines manufactured according to international standards should be used. Vaccination decisions must be grounded in reliable evidence and adapted to local epidemiological conditions. The guidelines support members in generating and assessing this evidence, covering the design, implementation, and evaluation of field studies, as well as the benefit–risk assessment that should precede any national or regional vaccination programme. Practical tools, including sample size calculators and recording form templates, are included to help users apply the guidance directly on the ground.

 

Running a field trial well requires getting many things right at once: clear case definitions, appropriate study designs, rigorous randomisation, consistent data collection, and validated laboratory testing. The guidelines walk users through each of these elements, with worked examples where possible, to ensure that field evaluations generate evidence that is both reliable and usable for decision-making.

 

Post-vaccination monitoring is equally important. The guidelines cover the systematic tracking of vaccine effectiveness under real-world conditions, alongside pharmacovigilance to detect side effects or adverse events. A dedicated three-step framework is provided to help countries set up and sustain monitoring systems, from establishing expected side effects and reporting channels to periodically evaluating and revising the programme. Genomic surveillance, including whole genome sequencing where feasible, is also recommended to detect potential reversion to virulence or recombination events over time.

 

These guidelines make clear that vaccination is not a standalone solution. It must be integrated into comprehensive ASF prevention and control strategies, alongside biosecurity, surveillance, and movement controls, tailored to each member.

 

Aligned with WOAH's commitment to supporting members in building robust animal health systems, the guidelines are designed to be adapted rather than applied rigidly. Countries with sufficient resources are encouraged to conduct their own field trials. Others can draw on data from countries with comparable production systems, with WOAH facilitating connections to relevant reference laboratories and collaborating centers. Transparency and data sharing are highlighted throughout, in keeping with the principles of the Terrestrial Animal Health Code.

 

 

To support the practical use of these guidelines, WOAH will host a webinar on June 30, bringing together the authors and selected members to discuss the application of this resource.

-  National Hog Farmer