FMD vaccine rollout: Progress made but urgent need for more doses remains

One of the two specially equipped vans provided by the Milk Producers’ Organisation (MPO) is ready to transport vital vaccines from the Allerton lab to veterinary practices, ensuring swift and efficient vaccination efforts against Foot-and-Mouth Disease in South Africa’s dairy farms. South Africa’s vaccination campaign against Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) is gaining traction, with industry leaders acknowledging progress but stressing that significantly more doses are needed to protect the national herd. The update comes as Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen confirmed thegovernment is covering the entire cost of the vaccination programme.

Angus Williamson, Kwanalu vice president and Red Meat Producers Organisation (RPO) KZN chairperson, provided an update on the provincial rollout, noting that some members in the Ugu and Harry Gwala Municipality districts have begun receiving the vaccine, including several dairies. “There are three veterinary practices in southern Natal that have got the vaccine, and they will be rolling that out, although it’s not as much as what was promised. So that is a challenge,” Williamson said, adding that vaccination teams have visited some member farms.

He also raised concerns about the traceability of vaccinated animals. “Although they’re not tagging cattle, they have told us that they will tag them on the second round, which is at the dip tanks. We hope that this will actually happen because traceability is very important.” Williamson highlighted that the spread of FMD continues, and the current vaccine supply is insufficient.

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“The amount of vaccine that is coming is very slow. KZN only had 200,000 doses of theArgentinian vaccine, and we probably have about 1.4 million cattle. We need at least three million doses just for the cattle,” he explained.

He stated that there is “still a very long road ahead” and looks forward to morevaccinesbeing rolled out. The Milk Producers’ Organisation (MPO) has been instrumental in facilitating the rollout,particularly in KZN. Fanie Ferreira, CEO of the MPO, detailed the organisation’s extensive involvement.

The MPO serves the interests of 880 dairy farmers nationwide, and its well-established communication structures ensure rapid information sharing. Ferreira confirmed that of the one million doses of the Biogénesis vaccine allocated to provinces, “in KZN, 200,000 doses of the vaccine were allocated and 90,000 of those doses were given through the MPO”.

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