DAVAO Region farmers can now avail of the AVAC live vaccines against African Swine Fever or ASF following the rollout of new doses of ASF vaccines in the country.
The announcement came after the Department of Agriculture-Davao Region (DA-Davao) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said last month that around 150,000 doses will be delivered to the country after the initial rollout of 10,000 AVAC live vaccine doses in the third quarter of 2024.
Farmers in the region will be able to obtain these government-procured vaccines once they arrive in the country.
Meanwhile, according to Dr. Armie Capuyan, Regional Head of Disease Monitoring and Surveillance, there is no precise allocation for the Davao Region because these vaccines are given out upon request.
The City or Municipal Agriculture Offices (CAO/ MAO) are where farmers can submit their requests. After verifying that the farmers have complied with the biosecurity regulations, the CAO or MAO will approve the request and forward it to the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).
“Once approved, it will be delivered to regional offices, and the DA-Regional Office, the BAI, and the LGUs will jointly monitor the implementation of the said interventions,” Capuyan noted.
Based on DA-Davao’s latest monitoring, 14 municipalities in the region are classified as red zones or areas impacted by ASF. There are about 14 surveillance zones (yellow) in the area and 21 locations have been designated as buffer zones (pink).
Through the Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion (Inspire) Program, the DA is extending the vaccine program to commercial farms and swine herds across the Philippines.
The attenuated, freeze-dried AVAC ASF live vaccination is intended for pigs four weeks of age and up. The vaccination should only be administered once. DEF
