Piloting the Navet ASFvac vaccine against African swine fever

Pig farmers buy vaccines at the price of 36,015 VND per dose

To pilot phase 1 of the Navet ASFvac vaccine against African swine fever by Navetco Central Veterinary Medicine Joint Stock Company (Navetco), the Department of Animal Health has selected 24 locales to participate in the plan to monitor the quality and use of the Navet ASFvac vaccine. Binh Dinh province is one of the 24 locales selected for the pilot plan.

In phase 1, Navetco produced 600,000 pilot vaccine doses to monitor their quality. Navetco coordinated with locales to select herds of varying sizes for pilot vaccination including: Herds with fewer than 500 pigs, herds with 500 to 1,000 pigs, herds with 1,000 to 5,000 pigs and herds with over 5,000 pigs. The subjects selected for pilot vaccination range from 8 to 12 weeks old; pigs are raised at livestock facilities to ensure disease safety. Contracts are made to supervise the sampling and monitor the effectiveness of the vaccine after vaccination.

Navetco announced the commercial vaccine price is 36,015 VND per dose, and the majority of the farmers purchased the vaccine. During the pilot vaccination, Navetco assigned professional staffs to coordinate with Binh Dinh Department of Livestock and Veterinary Medicine and closely monitor the progress before, during and after vaccination to promptly handle arising problems.

According to Mr. Huynh Ngoc Diep, Director of Binh Dinh Sub-Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, after implementing phase 1 of the pilot vaccination, the selected locales continue to coordinate with Binh Dinh Sub-Department of Livestock and Veterinary Medicine, and the District Agricultural Service Center in monitoring the effectiveness of vaccines as well as monitor developments on the herds of vaccinated pigs. This information will subsequently be submitted to the authorities to evaluate the effectiveness of the vaccine.

Hoai An district in Binh Dinh, also known as "the largest pig barn in the Central region" with a total herd of over 300,000 pigs, is excited to participate in the pilot vaccination of the Navet ASFvac vaccine. According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Vuong, Director of Hoai An District Agricultural Service Center, before the pilot vaccination schedule was released, the Sub-Department coordinated with Hoai An District Agricultural Service Center to hold meetings with units qualified for vaccination to exchange, consult and answer questions from the farmers. After vaccination, the aforementioned units continue to connect with farmers regularly to accurately assess the health of the pig herds.

Mr. Nguyen Van Le, Head of Phu Cat district Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that Phu Cat district only has 1 large-scale livestock farm that is eligible to participate in the pilot vaccination of Navet ASFvac vaccine against the African Swine Fever. Phu Cat district is currently monitoring the vaccinated pig herd, record comments from the pig farmers to report to the relevant authorities, and provide complete and timely information to quell the pig farmers' worries.

Vaccinated pigs have exhibited good responses

Mr. Tran Anh Tuan, a farmer in Tang Bat Ho town, Hoai An district and one of the four owners of units registered to pilot the Navet ASFvac vaccine, reported that: “In this first phase, my family has registered to vaccinate 50 piglets aged from 8 to 12 weeks. Through monitoring, the 50 recently vaccinated pigs reportedly eat well and function normally.

During the first 21-day period after the vaccination, I focused on monitoring the health of the pigs. If there were any unusual signs, I would contact the veterinary agency for timely handling. We are hoping that by the beginning of August, we will be able to vaccinate 50 additional pigs, as well as collect samples from the 1st vaccination for analysis and evaluation by the functional sector."

According to Mr. Huynh Ngoc Diep, Director of Binh Dinh Sub-Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, 905 pigs participating in phase 1 of the pilot for Navet ASFvac vaccine against the African Swine Fever by Navetco have all responded well and are in stable condition.

“In addition to reviewing and making lists, Binh Dinh's agricultural sector will strengthen the dissemination of transparent information related to the effectiveness, prevention rate of vaccines as well as risk of side effects. The transparency of information related to vaccines helps farmers to quantify the safety level, identify risks so that they can be more proactive in vaccinating their livestock against diseases", shared Mr. Huynh Ngoc Diep.