The Philippines representatives visited the AVAC factory before importing 150.000 doses of AVAC ASF LIVE vaccine

All decisions are based on scientific evidence

On August 26, representatives from the Philippines, including Mr. Engr. Rosendo O. So, Chairman of SINAG - a prestigious agricultural group comprising experts and advisors with significant influence on food security and sustainable development and Ms. Pinky Pe Tobiano, CEO of KPP Powers Commodities Inc. - the company importing AVAC’s African Swine Fever vaccine (AVAC ASF LIVE) visited the warehouse of AVAC’s factory in Hung Yen.

Chairman of SINAG Engr. Rosendo O. So stated that after inspecting the AVAC factory, he found that the facilities, equipment, and cold storage were all in good condition.

"The Philippines government warmly welcomes the collaboration with the Vietnamese government. Through the importation of AVAC ASF LIVE vaccine, we hope to solve the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak with this vaccine solution", Engr. Rosendo O. So added.

Ms. Pinky Pe Tobiano affirmed: “We continue to collaborate with AVAC because during our evaluation of safety, efficacy and research documentation, the data we received has been very positive. The registration progress in accordance with the requirements of the Philippine Food and Drug Administration. All decisions are based on scientific evidence and foundation".

Ms. Pinky Pe Tobiano mentioned that she known about the AVAC ASF LIVE vaccine through an introduction from the Vietnamese Embassy in the Philippines and subsequently contacted AVAC directly for negotiations. After the negotiations, both parties conducted thorough testing and evaluation. All decisions were based on scientific research results. She confirmed that she is completely satisfied with the research outcomes to date.

"Currently, the biggest concern for the Philippine government as well as KPP Powers Commodities is the impact of counterfeit vaccines on the import and testing process of the AVAC ASF LIVE vaccine. That is why today we visited the AVAC factory directly to oversee and ensure that we can distinguish between the vaccines purchased by the Philippine government and counterfeit ones. We are pleased with the very positive results. We believe that the AVAC ASF LIVE vaccine is a valuable solution for pig farmers in the Philippines", Ms. Pinky Pe Tobiano said.

Why is a good vaccine not used widely?

Dr. Nguyen Van Diep, General Director of AVAC Vietnam Joint Stock Company, shared that this is a question he receives from many people both domestically and internationally.

Dr. Diep explained: "New and difficult-to-produce vaccines, such as those for ASF, especially when produced by domestic companies, will naturally face initial skepticism, which is an unavoidable issue".

Mr. Diep also highlighted several reasons why farmers are hesitant and concerned about using the new ASF vaccine. First, farmers may have previously purchased low-quality vaccines that did not meet standards. Second, the absence of international standards for ASF vaccines causes confusion among many experts and farmers. Third, there is still a lot of inaccurate information both domestically and internationally about ASF vaccines.

Additionally, there are concerns that the vaccine might lead to the emergence of new strains. This is difficult to avoid, as it is a characteristic of live attenuated vaccines. For example, with vaccines for diseases like blue ear disease, the risk of developing strains similar to the vaccine cannot be completely prevented when the vaccine is in use.

In response to the differing opinions, Mr. Diep shared AVAC’s upcoming solutions, which include: Expanding the vaccine’s approved use to include breeding pigs; collaborating with international organizations for independent evaluation and international recognition, such as WOAH (World Organisation for Animal Health) and FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization); partnering with domestic agencies, organizations and companies such as C.P. Vietnam and Cargill to promote and supply the vaccine. Finally, AVAC is focused on advancing registration and trials in other countries. 

A lifesaver for small and medium farmers

According to Dr. Nguyen Van Diep, ASF is a dangerous infectious disease caused by a virus. The disease is characterized by its ability to spread and affect pigs of all ages and species, including both domestic and wild pigs. It causes severe damage, with a mortality rate that can reach up to 100%.

According to data from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), as of 2023, ASF has appeared in 53 countries and territories around the world.

In Vietnam, the Department of Animal Health (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) reports that in 2019, nearly 6 million pigs were either killed or destroyed due to ASF nationwide, resulting in losses exceeding 524 million USD.

Currently, ASF continues to spread widely in the country. The infection rate in small and medium-sized farms can reach up to 80-90%. For large farming companies, the infection rate is approximately 40-50%, with some reaching up to 70%. The majority of the circulating virus strains in Vietnam are genotype II. AVAC’s ASF vaccine provides strong protection for pigs against this strain.

Mr. Diep stated that a key feature of AVAC ASF LIVE is its high safety level and strong protective capability, providing effective protection for both sows and breeding boars.

“The AVAC ASF LIVE vaccine is not a perfect shield, but it is an effective armor for combating ASF. Without the ASF vaccine, pig farming will continue to face instability. The ASF vaccine is a lifeline for small and medium-sized farmers, especially when they do not implement biosecurity measures as rigorously as larger enterprises", Mr. Diep emphasized.

Dr. Nguyen Van Diep, General Director of AVAC Vietnam Joint Stock Company, reported that since July 2022, AVAC has supplied over 2.6 million doses of AVAC ASF LIVE vaccine to the market. Of these, nearly 2.3 million doses were distributed domestically, 300.000 doses to the Philippines and 5.000 doses to Nigeria. The vaccine is currently being registered for use in several countries, including India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Nepal, Myanmar and Nigeria. AVAC currently has 1.5 million doses in reserve.