The Vietnamese government has announced its plans to export two million doses of the African swine fever vaccine to the Philippines by October. This decision comes just one week after Vietnam approved the domestic use of the world’s first commercial vaccines against the highly contagious disease.
According to an Interaksyon report, African swine fever has been a major disruptor in the global pork market, with losses estimated at over $100 billion during the worst outbreak in 2018 to 2019, particularly in China, the world’s largest pork producer, where about half of the domestic pig population perished.
The vaccine to be supplied to the Philippines will be produced for commercial use by AVAC Vietnam JSC, and the company has already sent 300,000 doses to the Philippines since obtaining approval.
Meanwhile, the Vietnamese government sees this vaccine shipment as a significant opportunity for export growth, given the magnitude of the swine fever problem worldwide.
Recently, Vietnam granted domestic commercial approval for two African swine fever vaccines, NAVET-ASFVAC and AVAC ASF LIVE, which were co-developed by Vietnamese companies and researchers from the United States. In an extensive trial covering hog herds in 40 provinces across the country, more than 650,000 doses of these vaccines were tested, showing an impressive efficacy rate of 95 percent, as reported by the government.
