October 20, 2023

Illegal sale of vaccine blamed for ASF spread in Philippines

The spread of African swine fever (ASF) in the Philippines can be attributed to the illegal sale of 300,000 vials of ASF vaccines to hog raisers, said an official of the farmers' group, Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG).

SINAG chairman Rosendo So said on October 19 he already wrote to Senators Cynthia Villar and Imee Marcos, urging them to investigate the release of ASF vaccines in the market even as the country's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has yet to approve the certificate of product registration.

The 300,000 vials of ASF vaccine reportedly came from Vietnam.

"We are afraid that vaccines are causing the spread (of ASF) as we received reports that the 300,000 vials which arrived in the country are being sold in the market," So told The Star. "This should be checked as this will further cause the spread of ASF. We want this investigated.

So wrote to Philippines Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Agriculture Undersecretary Deogracias Victor Savellano to highlight that the proliferation of unauthorised ASF vaccines in the market creates doubt on the impartiality of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).

"There are reports and eyewitness accounts that the said ASF vaccines currently on trial are now being sold commercially and some of our colleagues have tried it to horrendous results," So said in his letter.

He added that hog raisers cannot share the results on the use of the ASF vaccine due to the non-disclosure agreement with the importer.

"We also heard of vaccine shredding seen in some BAI farms which can be a cause for alarm since it may mutate to a more virulent form," So noted.

ASF outbreaks were reported for the past weeks in Oriental Mindoro, Ilocos Sur and Nueva Vizcaya provinces, forcing local government units there to declare a state of calamity in their jurisdictions.

BAI assistant director Arlene Vytiaco earlier said the agency targets to import 600,000 doses of ASF vaccines this year once the FDA issues the certificate of product registration to address the outbreak of the disease.

Vytiaco said that the field trial for the AVAC ASF live vaccine was conducted in six farms in Luzon.

- Philstar