Department of Agriculture Confirms New ASF Vaccine Procurement Amid Expired Batch Concerns

MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) has affirmed its commitment to securing and utilizing only new doses of vaccines in the fight against African swine fever (ASF), following concerns raised about the potential use of expired vaccines.

According to Philippines News Agency, the vaccines procured for battling ASF will be fresh and have a validity of two years, addressing concerns regarding the use of an expired batch. “We can assure you that those that will be procured and used are not those previously sent here,” De Mesa stated, referring to last year’s vaccine delivery from Vietnam. The reassurance comes after Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) Chairperson Rosendo So raised alarms over the possible use of 150,000 doses of expired AVAC live vaccines. “During the Technical Working Group meeting last Friday, we discovered that the vaccines intended for use were expired ones extended by the Vietnam company from last March to December,” So revealed in a separate Zoom interview.

De Mesa clarified that the questionable batch arrived before the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued the certificate of product registration for government-controlled vaccinations using ASF AVAC live vaccines, emphasizing that the DA currently has no outdated ASF vaccines in stock. He further noted that approximately 10,000 new doses are expected to arrive next Friday for Batangas as part of the DA’s emergency procurement.

The situation in Batangas has escalated to the point where the Sangguniang Panlalawigan declared a state of calamity across the province due to the ASF outbreak affecting areas like Calatagan, Lian, Lipa City, and several others. In response, the DA has committed PHP 350 million for the procurement of 600,000 doses of the vaccine and plans to utilize an additional PHP 150 million from its quick response fund for its indemnification program, which compensates farmers for condemned swine at significantly increased rates.

Amid these developments, the DA continues to intensify biosecurity measures, distribute industrial lime, conduct mass testing, and provide necessary equipment to manage the outbreak effectively.