Philippines DA expects FDA ASF vaccine approval in April

The Department of Agriculture (DA) in the Philippines is optimistic about getting approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) next month for African swine fever (ASF) vaccines from Vietnam. Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa stated that the vaccines should receive commercial approval in April. So far, 29,000 doses of the ASF vaccine have been given out from a total of 160,000 available doses. This includes 10,000 doses that were acquired through emergency procurement. The vaccines have mainly been administered in areas like Batangas, Bulacan, Tarlac, and Laguna. De Mesa noted that among 29 farms participating in the vaccination drive, only 51 vaccinated hogs have died. The vaccination campaign started in August 2022, following the first ASF outbreak in 2019, which caused significant losses to the pig industry. Currently, the number of active ASF cases has decreased to 39 barangays across 13 provinces. This number is down from 66 barangays in 18 provinces at the end of February. The Bureau of Animal Industry reports that most active cases are now in Central Visayas, especially in Bohol. De Mesa mentioned that there have been new ASF cases in Laguna, but measures are in place to quarantine affected pigs and cull those testing positive. He expressed confidence in the positive trend, highlighting the significant drop in active cases and affected areas. In addition to vaccination efforts, the DA is enforcing updated policies to control the movement of pigs and has set up strict border checkpoints to help prevent the further spread of ASF.