Guidelines implementing the AVAC African swine fever (ASF) controlled trials in the Philippines should be out as early as August or September this year, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Tuesday.
At stake are the first 150,000 free doses of the vaccine from Vietnam.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the use of the vaccine, approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June, will be voluntary and offered for free to commercial and semi commercial farms and clustered backyard enterprises under strict supervision. Public consultations should soon follow.
“After this rollout, the BAI will evaluate the vaccine’s efficacy before endorsing it to the FDA for final approval and registration for commercial use. This procurement demonstrates the FDA’s commitment to safeguard the swine industry and enhance national food security amid the challenges of ASF,” Tiu Laurel said.
The ASF vaccine rollout has an allocated budget of P350 million for the procurement of 600,000 doses first targeting areas vastly affected by the disease like Batangas and Mindoro. The vaccines will be administered to grower and fattener pigs.
Samuel Zacate, FDA director general, said the AVAC ASF vaccine had undergone rigorous trials and screenings since last year before its registration was granted. According to him, no one but the AVAC ASF applied for the registrations of the vaccine in the country although one other ASF brand is conducting clinical trials. He explained the entity is not yet considered an applicant for registration.
