South Africa has received an additional two million doses of foot-and-mouth disease vaccine from Turkey-based Dollvet Biotechnology, marking the first tranche of a six-million-dose order aimed at curbing outbreaks across all nine provinces.
The Department of Agriculture announced the shipment arrived on Wednesday and will be distributed to provinces within days, as part of a national vaccination drive that has already administered over two million doses to animals from February to March 26.
An additional order for five million doses has been placed with Argentina-based Biogenesis Bago through Onderstepoort Biological Products, to be delivered in two batches of 3.5 million and 1.5 million doses pending import approval from the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority.
Despite sufficient vaccine supplies, officials expressed concern over slow vaccination progress during a parliamentary portfolio committee meeting on agriculture, citing logistical and administrative delays in moving doses from warehouses to animals.
As of April 17, there were 1,502 confirmed FMD cases nationwide, with the highest concentrations in the Free State (414), North West (268) and KwaZulu-Natal (257), while the Northern Cape reported only four cases and the Western Cape 13.
The Western Cape has recorded no new cases in the past month, with the last outbreak in the Garden Route District on February 28 and all recent suspected cases in Hessequa and Bonnievale testing negative.
Provincial authorities in the Western Cape have administered over 161,000 vaccine doses, attributing the decline in cases to rapid response protocols that include immediate vaccination within a few kilometres of detected outbreaks.
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Officials acknowledged that the rise in reported cases reflects improved surveillance rather than increased transmission, noting a central reporting system has replaced previous under-reporting.
The virus strain currently circulating was last isolated in Zimbabwe in 2003, and there is no evidence linking the outbreak to wildlife reserves within South Africa.
The Department is reviewing proposed amendments to the Routine Vaccination Scheme for Foot and Mouth Disease under Section 10 of the Animal Diseases Act, 1984, which has drawn over 200 public comments.
Minister John Steenhuisen emphasized that securing vaccines and achieving World Organisation for Animal Health recognition of FMD-free status with vaccination is critical to restoring access to international markets for South African red meat, which have been closed for decades due to the disease.
Why is vaccination progress slow despite sufficient vaccine supplies?
Officials cite delays in the distribution chain, including strain matching for imported vaccines and logistical challenges in moving doses from storage to farms, as key barriers to faster rollout.
What is the goal of South Africa’s FMD vaccination campaign?
The goal is to vaccinate the national herd to achieve World Organisation for Animal Health recognition of FMD-free status with vaccination, which would allow access to international markets for South African red meat previously closed for decades.
Has the Western Cape seen recent FMD cases?
No, the Western Cape has reported no new cases in the past month, with the last outbreak recorded on February 28 in the Garden Route District and all recent suspected cases testing negative.