200,000 doses of vaccine are injected monthly to protect poultry flocks

Mr. Trinh Hung Cuong, Deputy Director of Hau Giang Sub-Department of Livestock, Veterinary and Fisheries, reported that the province currently houses a large flock of poultry, with a total herd of over 4.3 million heads including 1.7 million chickens, the remainder are ducks.

The Sub-Department is currently reviewing and organizing vaccination against avian influenza, concentrated mainly in high-risk provinces or vaccinated poultry flocks reaching the end of their immunity period. The province aims to bring the vaccination rate to at least 80% of the total poultry flock at the time of vaccination.

During the peak season between February 11 and March 10, the veterinary forces of Hau Giang province have injected over 614,000 doses of avian influenza vaccines. The veterinary forces have directly vaccinated at least 60,000 poultry belonging to 117 livestock households; additionally, they supervised the farmers' vaccination of over 554,000 poultry.

Local veterinary forces have vaccinated as well as supervised the vaccination of 910,603 poultry since the beginning of the year. Namely, veterinary forces across the country have vaccinated 109,000 poultry belonging to 274 livestock households, and monitored the vaccination of 802,000 poultry.

In addition to the promotion of vaccination, Hau Giang's veterinary forces have carried out and supervised the regular disinfection of over 2100 vehicles used in transporting animals and animal products since the beginning of the year. Furthermore, the province monitored the disinfection and sterilization of over 1.3 million meter square of land belonging to cattle and poultry slaughterhouses as well as livestock and poultry breeding establishments in Hau Giang.

The provine also aims to strengthen communication, dissemination, and guidance directed towards farmers regarding biosafety, hygiene and disinfection measures with lime powder and chemicals in high-risk areas surrounding the barn. Hau Giang also wants to focus on preventative measures against disease-transmitting species from entering the farming area, spraying disinfectants and insecticides against disease-transmitting species.

Mr. Dang Ngoc Giao, Deputy Director of Hau Giang Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that the Department recently issued a Directive to strengthen the prevention and control of livestock and poultry diseases in an effort to prevent dangerous diseases from arising and spreading, ensuring disease safety for livestock development.

The Department directed specialized units to organize the Month of general cleaning, disinfection and decontamination of the environment in January 2023 according to the plan; actively monitored livestock and poultry diseases, with emphasis on areas where epidemics have occurred, high-risk areas for early detection and definitive treatment when new diseases are found.

Moreover, the Department handled cases of unreported epidemic which can lead to the spread of the disease, affecting people and the community.

Kien Giang is a province bordering Cambodia, where a human death due to avian influenza A/H5N1 virus was recently reported in Prey Veng province. As a result, Kien Giang's agricultural sector has strengthened the control of poultry transport across the border as well as additional vaccination against avian influenza vaccine for livestock, in order to boost resistance and immunity.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Duc, Director of Kien Giang Province's Sub-Department of Livestock and Animal Health commented: "The current most effective approach is to accelerate the vaccination for poultry flocks. For the first few months of the year, veterinary forces in Kien Giang province injected 200,000 doses of vaccines every month. So far, nearly 600,000 doses of vaccines have been used. The province is continuing to promote large-scale injection. Most notably, concentrated poultry farms belonging to Vietnam CP Livestock Joint Stock Company has self-administered more than 200,000 doses of vaccines.

Furthermore, Kien Giang organized the Month of cleaning, disinfecting and sterilizing the breeding environment; distributed 1,927 liters of beenkocid free of charge to livestock households for self-spraying and disinfection of livestock areas; coordinated with units under the Department of Animal Health to conduct 4 sampling tests at poultry markets, in order to monitor avian influenza virus at the market.

It is currently harvesting season for the winter-spring rice crop of 2022 - 2023, so farmers often switch to free-range farming so the ducks can find natural food, which consequently increases the risk of spreading avian influenza. Hau Giang veterinary forces are monitoring 31 flocks of free-range 38,974 ducks moving between different localities in the province. All of these flocks of free-range ducks have been reported to be fully vaccinated against H5N1 avian influenza, and the vaccination is still in its effective period.