Hai Duong farmers feel secure in raising livestock with African swine fever vaccine

Safe, effective

Faced with the situation of African swine fever still breaking out in a number of provinces and cities across the country, in August 2024, after research, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, now the Department of Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Veterinary Medicine (Department of Agriculture and Environment) coordinated to select livestock households to pilot the injection of 2,000 doses of African swine fever vaccine in Cam Giang, Thanh Ha, Kim Thanh, Ninh Giang, Thanh Mien districts and Kinh Mon town.

After vaccination, the department collected 63 serum samples and sent them to the Central Veterinary Diagnosis Center for African swine fever antibody testing (61 samples were vaccinated, 2 samples were not vaccinated). The results showed that all 61 samples tested positive for African swine fever antibody; 2 samples were negative. With the above results, all pigs after vaccination had antibodies to prevent the disease.

As the first household in the province to vaccinate pigs against African swine fever, Mr. Nguyen Xuan Chuyen in Phuong Hoang village, Cam Hoang commune (Cam Giang) has seen the effectiveness of this vaccine.

Mr. Chuyen said that his family's pigs were twice infected with African swine fever, 10 tons of pigs had to be destroyed, causing hundreds of millions of dong in damage. Therefore, when he was informed about the pilot vaccination program, he immediately agreed. "After the vaccination, I observed that the pigs were developing normally, without any strange symptoms. I felt quite secure when vaccinating the pigs," Mr. Chuyen said.

According to the Department of Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Veterinary Medicine, since the beginning of the year, African swine fever has tended to increase nationwide, especially in the southern provinces.

As of February 28, the epidemic had occurred in 50 communes in 36 districts of 18 provinces and cities, killing and destroying 4,494 pigs. The remaining 10 provinces have had the epidemic for less than 21 days. This has caused a shortage of pork supply and pushed up pork prices.

To raise livestock safely, according to Mr. Le Van Tung, Head of the Department of Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Veterinary Medicine, through the assessment of the African swine fever vaccine, it is safe and effective on livestock, creating mass immunity, thereby increasing the ability to prevent disease. People should get vaccinated to protect their livestock.

Proactive

After the African swine fever vaccine was evaluated as effective and beneficial for livestock, localities proactively allocated budgets to purchase vaccines to support people in vaccinating their pigs.

According to Mr. Bui Van Quy, a technical officer of the Kinh Mon Town Agricultural Service Center, at the end of 2024, in addition to the number of vaccines supported by a number of veterinary pharmaceutical companies, the Town People's Committee also allocated funds to purchase 1,660 doses to distribute to a number of livestock households, and at the same time supported vaccination. "Vaccinated livestock all have antibodies to prevent disease, so livestock farmers can rest assured. Some households have proactively vaccinated their livestock after not receiving support," said Mr. Quy.

Along with the participation of professional agencies, people in the province also proactively researched and purchased African swine fever vaccines to vaccinate their pigs.

Mr. Bui Dac Den's family in Hop Nhat village, Lai Vu commune (Kim Thanh) raises 50 pigs per litter. Since the end of 2024, through information channels, Mr. Den has seen the effectiveness of the African swine fever vaccine, so he proactively bought it to vaccinate his pigs. "My family's pigs have not been infected with this disease, but I find it very dangerous. This year, I will buy this vaccine to vaccinate my pigs so that if I am unfortunately infected with the virus, I won't be too worried," said Mr. Den.

The effectiveness of the African swine fever vaccine is clear, but vaccination with this vaccine still has some difficulties. According to some farm owners, the price of the vaccine is quite high, 60,000 VND/dose and requires strict techniques and closer monitoring than other vaccines, so many farmers are still hesitant.

According to the recommendations of the professional agency, people need to be proactive in vaccinating pigs against African swine fever, especially during the humid weather, when some provinces and cities are currently suffering from the epidemic. In addition, it is necessary to clean the barns, limit people entering and leaving... to help avoid the risk of disease, protect livestock, and reduce unnecessary damage.