Detailed instructions on ASF vaccination are soon to be issued

On August 8, in Soc Son, Hanoi, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien had a meeting with several units, including the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Livestock Production and Animal Health, and Vietnam Agriculture and Environment News. Representatives from the Central Veterinary Drug Testing Center I and the Central Veterinary Diagnosis and Testing Center I, two units under the Department of Livestock Production and Animal Health, were present at the event.

Along with experts from national agencies, the meeting also welcomed the participation of three businesses producing African swine fever vaccine, namely AVAC Vietnam Joint Stock Company (AVAC), DACOVET Pharmaceutical and Animal Health Company Limited (belonging to Dabaco Vietnam Group) and Central Veterinary Medicine Joint Stock Company (NAVETCO).

Information from Duong Tat Thang, Director of the Department of Livestock Production and Animal Health (Ministry of Agriculture and Environment), shows that Vietnam currently has 1,232 ASF outbreaks in 984 communes, forcing the destruction of 238,811 pigs. The outbreaks are widespread in 34 provinces and cities, but mainly appear in small-scale livestock farming households. Considering the situation, Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien deems vaccines as the most important “iron fist” to prevent and control the disease.

Vietnam has successfully produced three types of ASF vaccines: Navetco vaccine, using ASFV-G-ΔI177L strain; AVAC vaccine, using ASFV-Δ-MGF strain; Dabaco vaccine, using ASFV-G-ΔI177L/ΔLVR strain. All have been granted a Circulation Certificate in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Animal Health, documents guiding the implementation of the Law and technical standards for veterinary vaccines. All three licensed ASF vaccines are indicated for use in pigs from 4 weeks of age and are effective against genotype II ASF virus strains.

According to Ta Hoang Long, Director of the Central Veterinary Drug Testing Center I, in the process of testing and monitoring the ASF vaccine quality after granting a veterinary vaccine circulation certificate, NAVETCO has tested eight batches of Navet-ASFVAC vaccine, and all batches meet quality standards according to TCCS XV1-47:2023/KN1. AVAC has also tested eight batches of AVAC ASF Live. The results show that eight batches meet quality standards according to TCCS XV1-47:2023/KN1.  

As for DACOVET, the company has sent two batches of Dacovac-ASF2 vaccine for testing. The Center has prepared animals to test for ASF, FMD, PCV, PRRS, CSF, Mycoplasma, and selected 26 negative pigs to prepare for the second re-test.

At the meeting, many delegates expressed concern about the emergence of genotype I and genotype II recombinant strains. “We now have a lot of experience, complete documents, directives, and telegrams to implement ASF prevention and control. However, the implementation needs to be carried out more drastically and synchronously,” said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Phung Duc Tien. Accordingly, the Deputy Minister laid out a number of fundamental directives.

Firstly, the Department of Livestock Production and Animal Health needs a document instructing localities to perform vaccination uniformly. Second, it is necessary to guide localities to strictly implement biosecurity measures. Large farms are doing well in this regard, but small farms still face many difficulties.

Thirdly, localities must continue the strict implementation of the "5 no’s" principle: No concealment of disease outbreaks; no transportation of pigs out of the epidemic area; no slaughter of infected pigs; no consumption of sick pigs; no discard of pig carcasses into the environment.

Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien proposed to urgently deploy ASF vaccines for boars and sows. At the same time, he requested the Department of Livestock Production and Animal Health to soon issue detailed and complete instructions on the ASF vaccination process. Vietnam Agriculture and Environment News will make a video to promote this content.

“If not well controlled, the ASF epidemic will directly affect this year's CPI. We thus need to solidify forces and establish working groups to demonstrate determination and continuous efforts. The strength of our actions still depends largely on the initiative of localities," said the leader of the agriculture and environment sector.