Vietnam exports 340,000 doses of African swine fever vaccine to the Philippines

On the afternoon of September 8, in Hung Yen, AVAC Vietnam Joint Stock Company held a ceremony to export a batch of 340,000 doses of AVAC African swine fever (ASF) vaccine (AVAC AFS LIVE) to the Philippines.

In the context of the world not having an ASF vaccine, Vietnam is the first country to succeed and allow the free circulation of this vaccine from July 2023. With such a new and important vaccine, quality is something the world is always concerned about and evaluates, and licenses cautiously.

Mr. Nguyen Van Diep, General Director of AVAC Vietnam Joint Stock Company, said that the AVAC ASF LIVE vaccine has passed initial assessments and has been licensed by the Philippine Ministry of Health, the Philippine Ministry of Agriculture and the Philippine Government to import the first batch of 160,000 doses in August 2024, and assigned to the Philippine Ministry of Agriculture for use and supervision.

"After carefully evaluating 160,000 doses in the field, the Philippine Government has continued to order and import 340,000 doses for use. This proves that AVAC's ASF vaccine has demonstrated safety and effectiveness, and has been trusted for use in the field in the Philippines. This result will further strengthen confidence in the quality of made-in-Vietnam vaccine products," Mr. Diep emphasized.

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Thi Huong, President of the Vietnam Veterinary Science and Technology Association, said that the Philippines' continued import of AVAC ASF vaccine for the second time shows that they have great confidence. This shows three important values. First, the value of science and technology, AVAC's ASF vaccine is the result of a persistent research process, close cooperation between domestic and foreign scientists, and is a testament to Vietnam's capacity for innovation.

Second, in terms of socio-economic value, vaccines not only help protect the domestic livestock industry, but also open up opportunities to bring Vietnamese veterinary products to regional and world markets, contributing to enhancing national prestige and position.

Third, the value of international cooperation. The Philippines' acceptance of Vietnam's ASF vaccine demonstrates the trust and friendly cooperation in the veterinary and agricultural fields between the two countries, and is also the beginning of wider cooperation.

Mr. Juancho Robles, General Director of KPP Power Comoditis Company - the importer and distributor of AVAC's ASF vaccine in the Philippines, said that based on the official monitoring results of the Bureau of Animal Industry - Department of Agriculture of the Philippines (DA-BAI), the initial field use of AVAC ASF LIVE vaccine has shown an efficacy rate of 92.78% in creating detectable antibodies against ASF. Field reports also confirmed that vaccinated pigs are generally healthy and the risk of outbreaks has been significantly reduced.

Hong Tham