MARD: Maximizing the efficacy of ASF vaccines

Evaluating the quality of vaccine before widespread use

According to the report of the Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), in early 2022, 735 African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks were reported in 225 districts of 47 cities and province across Vietnam.  It's estimated that 36,516 pigs either died or were culled due to the outbreak.

Currently, 21 cities and provinces has reported 138 ASF outbreaks (within 21 days post infection) in 62 districts. According to official data, 9,867 pigs have been infected with ASF and 10,076 pigs has died or been culled so far. The number of communes reporting the outbreak of ASF has been declined by 1.5 times while the number of culled pigs has fallen by almost 3 times compared to the same period in 2021.

In late May 2022, the MARD directed the Department of Animal Health to issue a certificate for NAVET-ASFVAC vaccine developed by NAVETCO National Veterinary Joint Stock Company and host a ceremony to announce the successful production of an ASF vaccine on June 3, 2022.

On July 6, the Department of Animal Health held a meeting with provincial authorities and enterprises to discuss about the use of 600,000 doses of NAVET-ASFVAC vaccine starting from July 2022.

Talking to Vietnam Agriculture News, Acting Director of the Department of Animal Health Nguyen Van Long said after ASF vaccine were approved for circulation, the MARD directed the Department of Animal Health to test, evaluate the quality of ASF vaccine, ensuring the safety of 10 vaccine batches that are about to be used.

At the same time, the vaccine will go into two-phase trials. In the first phase, the vaccine will be used on a narrow scale. Approximately 600,000 doses are planned for trial use in some cities and provinces. In the second phase, after an evaluation report, the Department of Animal Health will report to its management body - the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development - to use the vaccine on a large scale.

Following the direction of the MARD, the Department of Animal Health worked with NAVETCO J.S.C and local governments on making a list of businesses and households that voluntarily register to use the vaccine.

"Before and after vaccination, pigs should be closely monitored for early recognition of clinical signs. In addition, it's necessary to take samples from vaccinated pigs to test and evaluate the humoral and cellular immune response after vaccination," Nguyen Van Long noted.

Based on those technical criteria, the leader of the Department of Animal Health expressed high level of trust in the success of ASF vaccine. Accordingly, once the safety of the ASF vaccine is ensured the Department of Animal Health will report to the MARD to consider and decide on the widespread use of the vaccine.

Speaking at the Conference to summarize the performance of the Department of Animal Health in the first six months of 2022 and to prepare for deploying tasks in the last six months of 2022 held last weekend, Deputy Minister of the MARD Phung Duc Tien said that in the face of complex and severe challenges expected until the end of 2022, the whole veterinary system must tighten management of veterinary medicine and vaccine and at the same time strengthening the control of slaughtering and disease infections; thereby forming a shield to better protect animal health.

Ensuring food supply in the last months of the year

According to Nguyen Van Long, there is a high chance of animal disease outbreak in the last months of the year and early next year due to 3 primary reasons: increased herd sizes; traffic increase, the increase in slaughtering along with weather conditions.

According to the leader of the Department of Animal Health, to ensure food supply in the last months of the year, the relevant agencies need to monitor and well-control infectious diseases, preventing and containing outbreaks.

"Besides, early detection and prevention is crucially important. Currently, we are able to protect our livestock from all types of animal diseases thanks to a wide-range of vaccines, we even have already developed vaccines against ASF," said Nguyen Van Long.

Also, the acting director of the Department of Animal Health emphasized the importance of building disease-free zones.  To make that happen, in 2022 the MARD held a national conference on stepping up the establishment of disease-free zones. At the same time, the MARD proposed a plan on building large-scale disease-free breeding zones to the Prime Minister for approval.

"Accordingly, the relevant agencies under the Department of Animal Health must stay close to what is happening, and at the same time organize teams to help breeders and enterprises better understand the role and requirements of safe breeding zones.  In addition, it's necessary to quickly respond to any outbreak," Nguyen Van Long said.

Overall, in the first six months of 2022, more than 2,300 breeding facilities and zones in 50 provinces and cities across the country were recognized disease-free areas including 1,052 poultry breeding facilities and zones; 1,131 pig raising facilities and zones and 146 others. During the same period, the Department of Animal Health also evaluated and gave certificates of disease-free areas to 10 district-level breeding zones in Ho Chi Minh City, Ba Ria - Vung Tau and Binh Phuoc provinces.

According to Acting Director of the Department of Animal Health Nguyen Van Long, the Department gave advices and reported to the MARD to approve AVAC ASF LIVE ASF vaccine developed by AVAC Vietnam Company Limited. Furthermore, it implemented assessment for 3 batches of ASF vaccine developed by Dabaco Vietnam.