Why is the African swine fever vaccination rate in Nghe An province low?

African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks intensified from mid-2024, and although the disease has largely subsided, the damage inflicted on pig farmers has been enormous. According to statistics from the Provincial Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, since the beginning of the year, the province has recorded over 250 ASF outbreaks, resulting in the forced culling of over 10,000 pigs, totaling over 400 tons, causing billions of dong in losses.

Besides solutions such as quarantining affected areas, culling infected pigs, setting up quarantine checkpoints, and disinfecting, vaccination is considered the most optimal solution to protect the entire herd and prevent the spread of the disease.

However, in reality, the vaccination rate against African swine fever in Nghe An province is very low. According to statistics, out of approximately 1 million pigs in the province, only over 6,000 doses of vaccine have been administered since 2024.

Specifically, the localities that have received the vaccine include: Do Luong (1,110 doses), Nam Dan (230 doses), Dien Chau (120 doses), Yen Thanh (1,395 doses), Thanh Chuong (80 doses), Nghi Loc (80 doses), Hung Nguyen (550 doses), Quy Chau (100 doses), Vinh City (10 doses), Anh Son (10 doses), Quynh Luu (10 doses)... In addition, farms and cooperatives in the province have also ordered more than 2,300 doses of vaccine for vaccination. This is a very modest number compared to the total pig population in the area.

For example, in Tan Ky district, according to a report from the District Agricultural Services Center, the total pig population is approximately 65,000, however, no households have vaccinated their pigs against the disease. From September 2024 to the present, African swine fever has occurred in 47 households across 7 communes, resulting in the culling of over 400 pigs, with a total weight exceeding 24 tons.

In Anh Son district, despite being the area with the most complex outbreaks in the province, the number of pigs vaccinated can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

In 2023, the entire province only administered 1,728 doses of African swine fever vaccine in four districts: Que Phong, Quy Chau, Hung Nguyen, and Yen Thanh.

There are several reasons why the vaccination rate against African Swine Fever (ASF) is low. First, this vaccine is only administered to pigs that meet the necessary criteria for fattening. Specifically, the AVAC ASF LIVE vaccine from AVAC Vietnam Joint Stock Company is used for fattening pigs from 4 weeks of age and older; the NAVET-ASFVAC vaccine from NAVETCO Veterinary Pharmaceutical Joint Stock Company is for fattening pigs from 8-10 weeks of age; these vaccines are not administered to sows and breeding boars.

Furthermore, these are new vaccines with high selling prices (averaging 60,000 VND/dose). Meanwhile, livestock farming costs have increased significantly, leading to losses for many farmers, and the disease situation remains unstable, causing many people to hesitate to invest. Many livestock owners are still skeptical about the effectiveness and protective capabilities of the vaccines. Local authorities lack mechanisms to support farmers in vaccinating their animals; policies for post-vaccination risk support are unclear. In particular, authorities have not yet included the African swine fever vaccine in the mandatory vaccination program and plan, unlike vaccines for classical swine fever, foot-and-mouth disease, etc.

Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, a farm owner in Dien Chau district, said: "My family currently has over 100 pigs for meat production. With a vaccination cost of over 60,000 VND per dose, vaccinating the entire herd would cost more than 6 million VND, which is a considerable amount. Therefore, we are not vaccinating all of them at once, but are mainly focusing on tightening disease prevention measures according to the instructions of the authorities."

According to the Provincial Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, the current erratic weather patterns and humid conditions create favorable conditions for disease development and spread. The high price of live pigs, coupled with the significant demand for pork during the Lunar New Year, has led small-scale farmers to restock their herds. The risk of disease recurrence and widespread outbreaks remains very high.

Vaccination is a crucial measure, and livestock farmers should be encouraged to invest in it to protect their herds and prevent the spread of disease. This should be combined with other measures such as ensuring biosecurity in livestock farming, supplementing antibodies, and disinfecting and sterilizing livestock facilities.