DA eyes 600K ASF vaccine doses

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is eyeing to complete the procurement of 600,000 doses of the vaccine against African swine fever (ASF) by yearend.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said Tuesday the hog inoculation using the initial 10,000 Vietnam-manufactured ASF vaccines will be finished by the end of this month.

Meanwhile, the delivery of 450,000 ASF doses is expected on 10 October.

“But we hope to complete the procurement of 600,000 doses by [the] end of December this year,” Laurel said in a Palace briefing.

Last week, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) reported that results of the controlled vaccination of hogs against ASF in Lobo, Batangas — ground zero for the largest ASF outbreak since the monsoon season began — showed that some pigs died post-vaccination while the majority remained in good health.

As of 6 September, ASF has affected 14 regions, 31 provinces, 109 municipalities, and 472 barangays, BAI data showed.

The DA had allocated P350 million for the procurement of the 600,000 doses of ASF vaccines.