South Africa received 2 million doses of foot-and-mouth disease vaccine from Turkey on Wednesday to combat its worst outbreak in years.
The vaccine, supplied by Turkish company Dollvet, will be distributed to provinces in the coming days based on livestock population and risk assessment, according to the agriculture ministry.
An additional 4 million doses have already been ordered from Dollvet, while 5 million more are pending from Argentina, awaiting approval from South Africa’s health products regulator, SAHPRA.
South Africa aims to vaccinate 80 percent of its 14 million cattle
The government targets immunizing 80 percent of the national herd, estimated at around 14 million animals, to curb the highly contagious virus that causes painful blisters in cattle’s mouths and hooves.
Although rarely fatal in adult cattle, foot-and-mouth disease significantly reduces livestock productivity, prompting complaints from farmers who say they are suffering heavy losses due to the outbreak response.
Some livestock breeders threaten legal action over crisis management
Farmers’ groups have criticized the government’s handling of the crisis, with some already warning of legal steps over alleged economic damages from containment measures and vaccination delays.
In February, South Africa launched its first domestically produced foot-and-mouth vaccine in two decades to address ongoing shortages, and the agriculture ministry said it will too allocate doses to the swine industry, as pigs can contract the virus.
Why is South Africa prioritizing cattle vaccination over other livestock?
Cattle are the primary victims of foot-and-mouth disease in South Africa, and the virus spreads rapidly among cloven-hoofed animals, making herd immunity in cattle critical to breaking transmission chains.
What challenges could delay the vaccination campaign?
Delays in SAHPRA approval for the Argentine vaccines and logistical hurdles in distributing doses to remote farming areas could slow the rollout, though the source does not specify timelines or regional gaps.
