TRIAL ASF VACCINATIONS. Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa says vaccines against African swine fever (ASF) may be rolled out within the year in an ambush interview at the sidelines of large-scale trial of P29 Project at Brgy. Fortune, Marikina City on Friday (July 5, 2024). He said the DA-Bureau of Animal Industry and the Food and Drug Administration will conduct controlled trial vaccinations in select sites to speed up the approval process. (PNA photo by Stephanie Sevillano)
MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) is eyeing to roll out the vaccine against African swine fever (ASF) within 2024 once it secures an approval from the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA).
"Iyong expectation natin within the year, maging okay na (approval) para by next year, wala na tayong problema sa ASF (Our expectation is for it to be approved within the year so next year, we will no longer have a problem with ASF)," Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said in an ambush interview at the sidelines of large-scale trial of P29 Project at Brgy. Fortune, Marikina City on Friday.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. earlier disclosed the expected approval of the FDA on the trial of ASF vaccines from Vietnam in two weeks.
"Controlled vaccinations to be monitored by BAI (Bureau of Animal Industry) and FDA jointly itong gagawin nating vaccinations (the vaccination that we will conduct) in two weeks," he said in a separate phone interview.
De Mesa explained that trial vaccinations have to be "controlled” to make it easier to monitor possible risks in hogs.
"Hindi pa siya iyong commercial, pili pa rin iyong mga babakunahan na hogs o iyong mga baboy natin para masigurado natin na kung may problema, kasi every step of the way may risk, so controlled natin iyong risk (It's not yet commercial, the hogs to be vaccinated are selected to ensure that if there's a problem because in every step of the way there's a risk, we can control the risks)," he said.
However, de Mesa said the step is bigger than earlier laboratory trials using small sample sizes.
Besides ASF vaccination, the DA will be implementing more stringent border measures to combat similar threats, including bird flu and Q fever, through the operation of Cold Examination Facility for Agriculture (CEFA).
A CEFA is a sanitary phytosanitary inspection facility for imported animals, fish, plants, and other agricultural products.
The DA eyes to operationalize its first CEFA in Angat, Bulacan by January 2025. Other planned CEFA sites include Subic, Manila, Davao, and General Santos City. (PNA)
