By Alani Janeke

FMD vaccine doses are being delivered to South Africa today. The shipment is expected to arrive promptly. This delivery will help in the fight against foot-and-mouth disease in the region.

The 900 000 foot-and-mouth vaccine doses that South Africa purchased from Botswana last week are expected to be transported to South Africa today.

Dr Mpho Maja, director of animal health in the Department of Agriculture, says the vaccines will be escorted by police to the headquarters of Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP), from where they will be distributed to the respective areas where they are needed.

The vaccines will be used to vaccinate animals on farms where the disease has been identified and in the traditional vaccination areas in Limpopo and Mpumalanga.

According to Maya, not enough doses have been obtained to prevent animals from being vaccinated outside the affected areas.

The OBP will distribute the vaccines to state veterinarians in the affected areas. The vaccines will be administered free of charge, as the government has purchased them, said Maya.

Dewald Olivier, CEO of Red Meat Industry Services (RMIS), said a request to supply dosages to feedlots for the preventative vaccination of their animals is currently being processed.