We are in the process of ordering 14 million vaccine doses
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The government will import 14 million doses of the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine as part of an effort to curb FMD transmission in the country, an official has said.



"We are in the process of ordering 14 million vaccine doses," director of animal health at the Agriculture Ministry's Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health, Nuryani Zainuddin, informed at an online press conference here on Thursday.



The vaccine doses will arrive no later than October 2022, and there will be an acceleration in the vaccinations of farm animals, she noted.



Zainuddin said that under its program, the government is vaccinating healthy farm animals in regions that have been set as outbreak regions.


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“Currently, there are 24 provinces that have been infected with FMD, so all of these provinces are targeted to get the vaccine," she informed.



However, due to the limited availability of vaccine doses, the government is prioritizing cattle and buffaloes, as they are the most vulnerable animals and those that give visible clinical symptoms, she added.



"Nevertheless, for some other vulnerable farm animals, such as goats, sheep, and pigs, vaccinations can be carried out as long as they have a high risk, namely being in an environment located near sick farm animals," she explained.



In addition, the government is also prioritizing the vaccination of breeding cattle and farm animals that are kept for a long time, such as dairy cows.



Then, she said that livestock breeds with superior characteristics for production purposes and those with high economic value are also being prioritized in the vaccination program.


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"Because there are still not many vaccines, we are prioritizing areas that are livestock centers, such as East Java, West Java, and Central Java," she informed.



To check FMD transmission, the Ministry of Agriculture launched a vaccination program for farm animals from Sidoarjo district, East Java, on June 14, 2022.


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Translator: Zubi Mahrofi, Raka Adji
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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