The Western Cape has received an additional 50,000 Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine doses as part of ongoing efforts to contain the outbreak affecting livestock in the province.
Premier Alan Winde and Provincial Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development, and Tourism Dr Ivan Meyer welcomed the latest consignment, stating that vaccination efforts remain central to protecting the agricultural sector and the broader provincial economy.
“The latest shipment will further bolster our drive to vaccinate the province’s entire herd and is critical in protecting our economy and jobs. I want to thank all our partners who continue to work with us in containing and ultimately eradicating FMD in our province,” Premier Winde said.
According to the provincial government, more than 155,000 vaccine doses have already been administered across 629 vaccination sites, with support from 29 private veterinarians.
The new allocation was secured through a partnership with Dairy Management Consulting, while Nova Feeds covered the cost of transporting the consignment to the province.
Winde said the province would continue efforts to secure its own vaccine supply to strengthen future response capacity.
“We will continue pushing to procure our own FMD vaccines. This will further streamline and strengthen our response to the outbreak,” he said.
Dr Meyer said disease control measures, particularly livestock movement monitoring, remain critical.
“We continue to prioritise the strengthening of systems that monitor and manage animal movement across the province. These controls are one of our most important lines of defence,” he said.
Authorities say that while the outbreak is under control, continued vigilance remains essential to prevent further spread.
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