Rollout of ASF vaccine to start Q3 2024, DA says
The vaccine for the African Swine Fever (ASF) will be available by third quarter of this year, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said as the national government vowed to initiate measures to prevent the spread of the contagious viral disease affecting the pig farming industry.
DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. said they are now finalizing the guidelines with agricultural and veterinary stakeholders for the controlled use of ASF vaccines that will be followed with public consultations.
The DA earlier allocated P350 million to fund the purchase of vaccines, syringes, and other necessities for the ASF vaccine rollout.
“The positive impacts of the (vaccination) rollout—specifically a steep decline in ASF cases as well as market prices for pork and pork products—will be felt by June 2025,” said Laurel.
“This vaccine procurement demonstrates the DA’s commitment to safeguard the swine industry and enhance national food security amid the challenges of ASF. Rest assured that we will always remain dedicated to supporting hog farmers and ensuring the resilience and sustainability of our agriculture sector,” he added.
Based on the initial guidelines, the rollout will be strictly voluntary and will prioritize eligible commercial farms, semi-commercial enterprises, and clustered backyard farms—most likely in the Red and Pink Zones—under strict supervision of the DA-Bureau of Animal Industry.
Red Zones are municipalities or cities with confirmed ASF cases that spread to other barangays in the same municipality or city within 15 days while Pink Zones include the Metro Manila as well as cities and municipalities where ASF is not detected but demarcated immediately around the Red Zone.
As of July 14, the National ASF Prevention and Control Program (NASFPCP) of the DA-BAI reported 403 Red Rones and 737 Pink Zones in the Philippines.
Out of the Department’s target of 600,000 doses, Laurel said around 150,000 doses of A-VAC ASF Live are expected to arrive in the Philippines by the third quarter of 2024.
The vaccine was described as “a freeze-dried, attenuated vaccine that is cultivated on the DMAC [Diep’s Macrophage cell] cell line” and is intended for pigs that are four weeks old and above with a recommended single-dose administration and a protective immunity period of at least five months.