MANILA – Following the successful rollout of 10, 000 doses of AVAC live vaccines against African swine fever (ASF), the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Thursday said it will proceed with the rollout of 150, 000 doses under government-controlled vaccinations.
“Iyong (The rollout of) 10, 000 tapos na (is already finished). So, we are now starting (procedures) with the next 150, 000,” DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in an ambush interview, citing the completion of the distribution of emergency-procured AVAC live vaccines.
The DA earlier expanded its government-controlled vaccination among healthy and ASF-negative hogs in areas outside Batangas, including Laguna and Central Luzon.
The 150, 000 doses, however, are yet to be delivered in the country, the DA chief said.
According to the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), 465 barangays in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, and Soccsksargen are still under red zones, or areas with active cases of ASF.
(PNA)