The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the rollout of the vaccine against African Swine Fever (ASF) by the third quarter of 2024.
In a joint press conference, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. confirmed that the DA, through the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), is “finalizing guidelines with agricultural and veterinary stakeholders for the controlled use of ASF vaccines, with public consultations to follow.”
The rollout will be strictly voluntary and will prioritize eligible commercial farms, semi-commercial enterprises, and clustered backyard farms—most likely in the Red and Pink Zones—under strict supervision of the DA-BAI.
The vaccines, as explained by FDA Director General Samuel Zacate, underwent clinical trials for two years and have been proven safe and efficacious based on the DA-BAI monitoring and FDA regulations. (Photos by Alarico Nuestro, DA-AFID)
