US EditionSouth Africa launches local foot-and-mouth vaccine as infections spread
An initial batch of 12,900 multi-strain doses aims to accelerate vaccination targeting 80% of the national herd to reduce outbreaks by over 70%, government says.
- On Friday, February 6, 2026, South Africa's Department of Agriculture released its first locally produced foot-and-mouth disease vaccine in nearly two decades, with an initial batch of 12,900 doses.
- Facing the worst outbreak in decades, South African livestock farmers struggled as underfunded state-owned vaccine manufacturing facilities forced reliance on imports from Botswana, Argentina and Türkiye.
- Production will scale to 20,000 doses per week by March, supporting a multi‑phase vaccination plan that vaccinated around two million animals by January.
- The government aims to vaccinate 80 percent of a national herd of about 12 million cattle, expecting outbreaks to fall by more than 70% in high‑risk areas by next January.
- Officials said the move could secure vaccine sovereignty, as the locally produced vaccine could become a major ally in fighting the disease and help address losses to milk producers and export markets.
12 Articles
12 Articles
South Africa launches local foot-and-mouth vaccine
South Africa has released its first locally produced foot-and-mouth disease vaccine in nearly two decades, as the country moves to boost domestic vaccine production to combat its worst outbreak of the disease in many years.
SA produces first foot-and-mouth disease vaccines in 21 years – The Mail & Guardian
South Africa’s first locally-produced foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccines in 21 years were formally handed over at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Research facility of the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) on Friday. The initial batch of 12 900 doses – produced at pilot scale using modern bioreactor technology – will be distributed across six provinces, with the Eastern Cape and Free State receiving the largest allocations. Agriculture Minist…
The Star Kuala Lumpur
South Africa releases first locally produced FMD vaccine in 20 years
JOHANNESBURG, Feb. 6 (Xinhua) -- South Africa has released its first locally produced vaccine for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in nearly two decades, the country's Department of Agriculture said Friday. Read full story
South Africa launches local foot-and-mouth vaccine as infections spread
South Africa on Friday announced its first foot-and-mouth vaccine in 20 years as it seeks to boost local production of inoculation doses to fight the country's worst outbreak of the disease in many years.
Milestone reached as SA resumes local FMD vaccine production
South Africa has restarted local production of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccines for the first time in more than two decades, marking a major step in the country’s fight to control ongoing outbreaks. Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen visited the Agricultural Research Council’s Onderstepoort Veterinary Research (ARC-OVR) facility on Friday, 6 February, where ARC President and CEO Dr Litha Magingxa handed over the first batch of local…
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