September 12, 2024

 

Philippines' Department of Agriculture expands ASF vaccine trials

The Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) is expanding its ongoing trial of African swine fever (ASF) vaccines, sourced from Vietnam, to help swine farmers combat the viral disease, Philippine Daily Inquirer reported.

 

In a statement, Philippines' Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr announced that the DA would broaden the vaccine trials to include more areas in Luzon, as well as regions classified as red zones, those with active ASF cases, in Visayas and Mindanao.

 

A total of 150,000 doses of the ASF vaccine will be administered to swine in the provinces of La Union, Quezon, Mindoro, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Cebu. The controlled trials are being conducted by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).

 

The trials will also cover commercial swine farms in heavily affected areas to protect their livestock from the disease. All vaccines will be provided to farmers free of charge.

 

This marks the first time the government has conducted a controlled vaccine trial since the first ASF outbreak in the country in 2019.

 

Earlier this year, the DA allocated PHP 350 million (US$6.2 million) for the ASF vaccine programme, with PHP 300 million (US$5.3 million) earmarked for the procurement of approximately 600,000 doses of vaccines from Vietnam, and PHP 50 million (US$891,000) set aside for inoculation-related expenses.

 

The first batch of 10,000 doses arrived last month, followed by an additional 150,000 doses, which have not yet been used.

 

On August 30, 2024, the DA began administering the initial doses in an inoculation drive in Lobo town, Batangas province, which has been a hotspot for the ASF resurgence. However, five of the 41 inoculated swine died, Lobo Mayor Lota Manalo reported during a Senate committee hearing on agriculture, food, and agrarian reform.

 

Over the weekend, Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa stated that the remaining 440,000 doses of the vaccine are expected to arrive and be distributed by October to continue the government's vaccination efforts.

 

According to the BAI's latest data, the country has active ASF cases in 14 regions, 31 provinces, and 109 municipalities as of September 6, 2024.

 

The swine sector has suffered an estimated PHP 100 billion (US$1.76 billion) in losses since the outbreak, and the total swine inventory dropped by 2.1% to 9.86 million heads as of September last year, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.

 

-      Philippine Daily Inquirer