Supervising the progress of African swine fever vaccine DACOVAC-ASF2 trial

Site inspection to be completed within the beginning of November 

Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien collaborated with the Department of Animal Health, National Center for Veterinary Drugs and Bio-Products Control No. I, National Center for Veterinary Diagnosis, and Dabaco Group representatives.

The Dacovet Pharmaceutical and Animal Health Company Limited of the Dabaco Group has researched and developed a freeze-dried attenuated African swine fever vaccine. The vaccine has been tested on the Group's pig colonies and at the National Center for Veterinary Drugs and Bioproducts Control No. I. 

Testing revealed that the vaccine met 80 to 100 percent of the standards for sterility, safety, and protective efficacy in experimental pigs. Currently, the DACOVAC-ASF2 vaccine is undergoing registration testing in accordance with applicable regulations.

Mr. Ta Hoang Long, director of the National Center for Veterinary Drugs and Bio-Products Control No. I, reported that the trial is currently being conducted with 4 and 8-week-old experimental piglets.

Mr. Long stated that the test was conducted at two facilities, Cao Minh Pig Farm (Phat Dat Production and Trading Company Limited, Cao Minh commune, Phuc Yen, Vinh Phuc) and Bui Van Toan Pig Farm (Tam Thien Mau Enterprise, Nghia Dao commune, Thuan Thanh district, Bac Ninh), with 100 pigs (50 4-week-old pigs and 50 8-week-old pigs) at each facility.

"Initial preliminary assessment results indicate that pig farms utilizing the DACOVAC-ASF2 vaccine are safe, live in good health, acquire weight ordinarily, and develop normally. Pigs produced antibodies against the African swine fever virus 28 days after vaccination. The process of evaluating the strength is currently underway, and field inspection steps are anticipated to be completed by early November," Mr. Long added.

As a follower, Dabaco must be more comprehensive and practical

Mr. Nguyen Hoang Dang, Deputy Head of the Virus Office at the National Centre for Veterinary Diagnosis, explained in his report on the expanded assessment result for the DACOBAC-ASF2 vaccine that the experiment was conducted to evaluate the levels of safety, efficiency, virus-clearance capacity, and the influence of the DACOVAC-ASF2 vaccine strain ASFV-G-I177L/LVR. Provide and supplement scientific results derived from the evaluation of various pig farm models.

Three batches of freeze-dried attenuated African swine fever vaccine DACOVAC-ASF2 are being evaluated: lots 2202, 2203, and 2301. The evaluation was conducted on three groups of pigs: those aged 4, 8, and 12 weeks. 

Results of monitoring temperature after vaccination: After vaccination, no fever or local or systemic reactions were observed in pigs. The body temperature of vaccinated swine was comparable to that of unvaccinated piglets and the control group.

Results of vaccination safety monitoring: After administering 10 doses of vaccine, there were no adverse effects on the weight gain of the experimental piglets compared to the control group. Vaccinated piglets develop and expand normally.

Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien stated at the conclusion of the meeting, "Although it has been challenging, we are nearly at the finish line. However, there are still issues, the first of which is how to manage an outbreak in pigs aged 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks, male pigs, cubs following their mothers, sows, etc. Second is how to inject into an outbreak and under what circumstances, as well as how to inject at a small farm and an epidemic farm. A third factor to consider is why the vaccine has been issued despite the low vaccination rate. It is necessary to investigate easier-to-use and less complicated vaccination conditions. Dabaco is a disciple, so I have to be more comprehensive and practical."

Vietnam has become the first country to successfully develop and produce two vaccines against ASF, a disease that first appeared in Africa in 1921 with a mortality rate of up to 100%. The evaluation of NAVET-ASFVAC produced by Navetco National Veterinary Joint Stock Company (NAVETCO), and AVAC ASF LIVE is underway.