Food and Veterinary Agency begins distribution of 400,000 vaccine doses for sheep and goats
Turkish-made vaccines donated by the EU; first phases cover 1,859 and 1,558 herds in eight regions.
The Food and Veterinary Agency (FVA) has started distributing 400,000 doses of vaccine against the disease affecting sheep and goats to veterinary associations, the agency announced.
The vaccines are manufactured in Turkey and were provided as a donation from the European Union. Laboratory testing carried out at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine confirmed the product's microbiological integrity and potency, and assessed it as one of the best vaccines for protecting livestock against this disease.
Phased campaign will cover all regions
Under the approved EU vaccination plan, the campaign is expected to begin field administration from Wednesday. In total, vaccination will cover 3,417 herds and 438,042 animals across eight regions.
The first phase includes the Vardar, Eastern, Southeastern and Northeastern regions, where 1,859 herds with 193,527 animals are registered. The second phase covers the Southwestern, Pelagonia, Polog and Skopje regions, with 1,558 herds and 244,515 animals.
A third phase will provide follow-up vaccination to maximize coverage of the target population. That phase will include lambs and kids that reach the minimum vaccination age after completion of phases one and two; animals whose vaccination was temporarily postponed for clinical or veterinary reasons; pregnant animals and those in the post-partum period for which vaccination was deferred after a documented risk–benefit assessment. It will also cover farms that were inaccessible during the initial campaign and farms where vaccination was postponed due to suspected infection, provided the competent official veterinarian authorizes vaccination. The campaign will include clinically healthy sheep and goats from the target population, lambs and kids that have reached the minimum vaccination age, and animals that are not excluded from vaccination according to the product's instructions for use.
Since the beginning of this year the FVA has recorded 115 outbreaks of the disease. During the same period 875 animals died from the disease and 9,359 animals were humanely culled and removed.
Photo: press material from the event
