Outlining the strategy and timelines for vaccination, Steenhuisen said the department will prioritise high-risk zones, with the goal of reaching 80 percent coverage in targeted cattle populations, especially the communal areas and up to 10 percent in feedlots and dairy cows.
“The objective is to, within 12 months, reduce outbreak incidents by 70 percent in high-risk provinces, preserve FMD-free provinces and to buffer vaccinations and strict movement controls.”
He said high-quality vaccines with high potency will be used during the campaign. Over the last month, Steenhuisen said the department had been engaging with vaccine manufacturers around the world.
A local production line which will initially produce 20,000 doses per week has also been activated. The production will scale up to a capacity of 960,000 doses. A task team has also been formed to deal with the scourge.
“The strategy we are employing is not a temporary patch; it is a comprehensive control and eradication programme,” he emphasised.
Interventions in the high-risk provinces will include immediate mass vaccination, which will be repeated within three months. By-annual campaigns will be launched at border hotspots in parts of Mpumalanga and Limpopo where recurring infections occur.