Manila: AVAC live vaccines against African swine fever (ASF) may now be commercially available following approval from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI). In a statement Wednesday, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. announced this development as a significant step in advancing recovery and repopulation efforts in the local hog industry. "The availability of a commercially approved ASF vaccine is crucial to our repopulation program," he stated. "It gives hog raisers another tool to protect healthy animals as we work to rebuild the industry and secure a more stable supply of pork."
According to Philippines News Agency, AVAC live vaccines from Vietnam, developed by the AVAC Vietnam Joint Stock Company, are the first ASF vaccine to secure government approval for commercialization after seven years since the ASF virus hit the Philippines. Earlier, the agency initiated its first-ever government-controlled vaccination of ASF-negative and healthy live hogs in certain regions, utilizing AVAC live vaccines. This strategy is implemented alongside stricter border control measures to prevent the spread of ASF.
The development of a second vaccine against ASF is currently underway, as stated by Agriculture Undersecretary for Livestock Constante Palabrica. The vaccine, named PROVAC, developed by South Korea, may provide an additional option for Filipino hog raisers starting next year. Palabrica mentioned a request for approximately PHP1 billion to subsidize the ASF vaccination program for backyard pig farms to make it more accessible to smaller producers.
The country's vaccination drive is part of the government's expanded repopulation efforts to boost the swine industry. Other measures include stringent disease surveillance, biosecurity, movement control, and targeted restocking. Overall, the government aims to restore the pre-ASF outbreak swine population level in the Philippines with these initiatives in place. Since its onset in 2019, the disease has reduced the country's hog population to about 8 million from 13 million pre-ASF levels. ASF outbreaks have affected 76 out of the 82 provinces nationwide, according to the BAI.
