For the first time, Vietnam produced its own foot and mouth vaccine

Instead of having to import 100% of foot-and-mouth vaccines for cattle, Vietnam now actively manufactures and sells them to the market.

Vaccines for foot and mouth disease account for the highest proportion in vaccines for animal diseases in Vietnam. According to the average of 5 years, Vietnam has to import about 25 million doses annually. However, the total livestock herd needs at least 75-80 million doses.

The World Animal Health Organization ranks the first dangerous foot-and-mouth disease in nearly 120 diseases in animals that need global warnings, because the disease spreads rapidly, to a large extent, often develops into large epidemics, causing great damage. to the livestock industry, to the economy, society and the environment. While supply is limited, Vietnam is not proactive in providing vaccines because of high prices, so the rate of vaccination has not reached its target, leading to every year the foot and mouth epidemic is happening all over the country.

Not only that, with imported vaccines, virus isolates are not isolated from selected outbreaks in Vietnam, so the rate of antigenic similarity is not high, not suitable for epidemiological conditions in Vietnam, leading to to a modest level of protection.

Official of AVAC / RTD Company operates equipment to produce foot and mouth vaccine.

Before this situation, RTD Company proposed to research and produce foot and mouth vaccine and approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology under the National Product Development Program to 2020.

Dr. Cao Van Hung, Deputy General Director of RTD said, starting to implement the project since 2014, the research team has collected specimens, isolated and recruited virus-like strains of foot-and-mouth disease. Type O, A and Asia-1 foundations for laboratory and industrial scale vaccine research and production to commercialize products.

The company also developed the process of isolation, selection of virus strains, breeding process and preservation of virus-like strains. The process of researching the production of vaccine type O foot mouth laboratory scale has been completed to industrial scale production and commercialization of products.

Proactive domestic supply

Vietnam is importing 100% foot and mouth vaccine so successful implementation of the project and commercialization of RTD company's products marks the first time that Vietnam has successfully produced and put into commercialization. foot and mouth vaccine. Since then, the livestock sector will be more active in the prevention and control of epidemics, increase the rate of vaccination against foot and mouth for cattle and save foreign currency.

Mr. Hung said that with this research, for the first time, Vietnam has mastered the process of isolation and selection of virus-resistant strains to produce vaccines. Through research, the company's personnel have also been raised. High capacity to capture new technologies in the field of research and production of vaccines and biological products for veterinary use.

Bottle bottling process.(Photo: NVCC).

To get this result, Mr. Hung said that the research team not only received investment funding, the National Program Office, Ministry of Science and Technology also supported many stages in the implementation process to develop projects. effective declaration.

Mr. Hung is confident about the ability to apply the research results into practice and hopes that the product will contribute to improving the annual foot and mouth disease situation in Vietnam.

Recently, the Department of Animal Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development issued a certificate of approval for vaccination against foot and mouth disease AVAC-V6 FMD Emulsion type O to the market.

This is the first time, a domestic virus breed to produce foot-and-mouth vaccines is recognized, fully meeting the current standards of Vietnam and recommended by the World Veterinary Organization.

Currently, the world has 7 types of foot and mouth virus circulating, of which there are about 76 subtypes. For prevention, using vaccines is the most effective solution.

In Vietnam, foot and mouth disease appeared 100 years ago and now has 3 types of circulating viruses: type O, A and Asia1.