South Africa secures 1.5M FMD vaccines to boost livestock protection

SOUTH AFRICA – Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen has confirmed the arrival of a major consignment of 1.5 million Dollvet Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccines at OR Tambo International Airport to Boost Livestock Protection.

The shipment, imported from Turkey, was facilitated by Dunevax as the authorised agent.

The Department of Agriculture said the successful arrival of this batch demonstrates its strategic decision to partner with the private sector to secure a steady pipeline of high-potency vaccines to strengthen the national response to FMD.

The latest shipment follows the arrival of one million FMD vaccine doses from Biogénesis Bagó in Argentina. The department reported that its distribution network has moved with unprecedented speed.

Additionally, during an engagement with dairy farmers in the uMngeni Municipal Area, Minister Steenhuisen called for national unity, stressing that restoring and maintaining FMD-free status with vaccination is a collective effort that requires full cooperation between government and farmers.

With millions more vaccine doses scheduled to arrive in the coming months, the Ministry said efforts remain focused on suppressing viral circulation and containing outbreaks.

Steenhuisen said the arrival of the Dollvet vaccines on Sunday, is another win in the country’s war against FMD.

“By leveraging agents like Dunevax, we are proving that the department is willing to work with any partner who can help us protect our national herd. We are focused on action and results, and we will continue to deal decisively with every outbreak until South Africa is FMD-free,” the Minister said.

South Africa introduces locally made foot-and-mouth vaccine

Due to the ongoing outbreak of FMD, South Africa announced the rollout of its first locally produced foot-and-mouth disease vaccine in 20 years, as authorities move to contain a surge in infections that has spread across key livestock regions and placed mounting pressure on farmers and veterinary services.

The vaccine was developed by the state-run Agricultural Research Council, which the government says will play a central role in efforts to immunise roughly 80% of South Africa’s estimated 12 million cattle, including about 7.2 million animals raised on commercial farms.

According to the agriculture ministry, the ARC is expected to begin supplying about 20,000 vaccine doses per week from March 2026, with plans to scale production to approximately 200,000 doses per week from 2027, subject to manufacturing capacity and funding.

Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen said the introduction of local production would eventually reduce reliance on foreign suppliers, adding that the aim was to ensure the country could respond more predictably to future outbreaks once full-scale manufacturing is reached.

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