Steenhuisen claims early success in vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease

Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen is claiming an early success in the vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease, with no new outbreaks reported among already vaccinated cattle.

Steenhuisen said this is an indication that the vaccination strategy is starting to work, with more than two million animals inoculated so far.

But there’s still a way to go to prevent new outbreaks, with cases reported across all provinces over the past week.

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With more than 1,300 new cases reported last week, the Free State and the North West have reported the highest number of cases, while the Northern Cape is the least affected.

Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, the previous epicentres of the disease, have also both reported more than 200 cases each.

Steenhuisen said the increased number of cases reported is owing to improved government capacity and strengthened surveillance to allow for earlier detection and faster data capture.

So far, four million doses of vaccine have been imported from Argentina and Turkey, and Steenhuisen’s spokesperson, Joylene van Wyk, said more are on the way.

“An order for five million doses from Biogenesis Bago has already been placed with Onderstepoort Biological products. The process to import has already begun, and 3.5 million doses of the ordered five million doses are expected to arrive before the end of April.”

Public comments on the government's vaccination strategy will be allowed until Friday, with the final scheme due for publication next week in line with a court order.