Other than the 644 000 doses paid for by the feedlot industry, South Africa’s stocks of urgently needed foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine are currently depleted. Livestock owners are nevertheless being urged not to lose hope.

Lloyd Phillips, senior journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad

It’s true. The national Department of Agriculture (NDA) confirmed to African Farming on Tuesday, 4 November that it currently has no more stocks of FMD vaccine remaining to continue the desperate fight against the spread of this economically important and often emotionally devastating pathogen of cloven-hoofed livestock.

Right now, the 644 000 doses of FMD vaccine left in the country are those that were ordered and paid for, with the permission of state veterinary authorities, by South Africa’s feedlot industry for its own use.

Any other livestock owners, including the dairy farmers whose many tens of thousands of cows are especially at risk of severe symptoms from FMD, can only hope and pray that their biosecurity measures will be sufficient in the meantime.

Moses Rannditsheni, Director of Media and External Communication at the NDA, said the Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI) has temporarily stopped its production of FMD vaccine for South Africa to allow for compulsory maintenance of BVI’s facilities.

African Farming has previously reported that other well-placed sources have confirmed that BVI’s vaccine production will only resume sometime in January 2026.

“At this moment, the state does not have any vaccine, but orders for vaccine have been placed and some vaccines may arrive as early as next week to assist the department [NDA] to calm [South Africa’s] situation,” said Rannditsheni.

“South Africa has requested additional vaccines from BVI to manage the situation. Additional vaccines will be obtained, but stocks are limited.”

Rannditsheni did not clarify how, if BVI is temporarily shut down, the NDA will still be able to source vaccines from BVI in the interim.

BVI has not responded to questions posed by African Farming.

Also read: Is South Africa going to run out of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine?

Biosecurity is the Only Defence Left

Regarding the much-anticipated FMD vaccine that Dollvet Biotechnology in Turkey can reportedly start manufacturing for South Africa, Rannditsheni said: “The efficacy of the Turkish Dollvet vaccine against the South African Territories [SAT] strains [of foot-and-mouth], especially the topotypes causing the outbreaks in South Africa, is not known.

“This vaccine must still be tested for efficacy, and stakeholders are advised not to lose hope.”

According to reports, if Dollvet’s FMD vaccine is approved, it too might only become available in South Africa from sometime in January.

Also read: OBP: R100 million deficit and lower vaccine output ‘machine’s fault’, hears Parliament

African Farming has also previously reported on the wide-ranging concerns by various independent animal health experts and by livestock farmers about the NDA’s various alleged failings with being able to curb the spread of FMD in South Africa.

“The state will continue to obtain effective vaccines and to use them appropriately on at-risk animals throughout the country. The public, however, must as much as possible avoid bringing cloven-hoofed animals together unless the animals have been confirmed to be free from disease,” said Rannditsheni.

“The animals must be accompanied by a permit. The trucks carrying the cloven-hoofed animals must be cleaned properly and disinfected with suitable disinfectant. Stakeholders must please contact the nearest state veterinarian or animal health technician.”

Visit www.africanfarming.com for all the latest updates regarding the availability of FMD vaccines in South Africa.

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