"We have been given a target by the director general of livestock and animal health that the first phase of FMD vaccination must be completed no later than July 2, 2022. Previously, we received 1,500 vaccine doses, and now we received an additional 75,500 vaccine doses," head of the Livestock and Animal Health Office of Central Java province, Agus Wariyanto, said here on Thursday.
According to him, the allocated vaccine doses are part of the first phase of the FMD vaccination program, and later, the province will receive another vaccine supply for the second phase.
Wariyanto said that the vaccine doses would be prioritized for healthy farm animals that are at risk of an infection, such as dairy cows, beef cattle, and breed cows.
"Our vaccinators are ready. Another thing that must be prepared is the selection of truly healthy livestock," he added.
Related news: Agriculture Minister leads FMD vaccination for cattle in Central Java
Earlier, Central Java had received 1,500 FMD vaccine doses from the Ministry of Agriculture.
Further, regions that received vaccine allocations were Boyolali district (400 doses), Semarang district (300), Klaten district (200), Sukoharjo district (200), Salatiga city (100), Magelang district (100), Semarang city (100), and Wonosobo district (100).
According to the Livestock and Animal Health Office, so far, 26 thousand farm animals have been suspected to have contracted FMD, and of that number, only 0.5 percent have died, while 21 percent have been declared cured.
On June 14, the Ministry of Agriculture commenced the nationwide FMD vaccination program for livestock from Sidoarjo district, East Java.
Vaccine doses are being prioritized for healthy animals that are at high risk of infection, such as animals at livestock breeding centers, community-owned dairy farms, dairy cooperatives, and beef cattle farms.
The Ministry of Agriculture has forecast that 17 million livestock, or around 80 percent of the livestock population in provinces affected by the disease, will receive the vaccine.
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Translator: Wisnu Adhi, Raka Adji
Editor: Suharto
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