Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced the initial purchase of a vaccine for the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank (NAVVCB). APHIS will invest $27.1 million in foot-and-mouth disease vaccine, which the Agency would use in the event of an outbreak to protect animals and help stop spread of the disease.
Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, Greg Ibach, explains the role the foot-and-mouth disease vaccine bank would play in an overall preparedness approach against the disease.
Ibach discusses the various prongs within an animal disease preparedness system and the importance in keeping diseases out of our country.
Vaccination helps control the spread of infection by reducing the amount of virus shed by animals and by controlling clinical signs of illness. While an outbreak would temporarily disrupt international markets, vaccination would allow animals to move through domestic production channels.
APHIS will continue to participate in the North American Foot and Mouth Disease Vaccine Bank, and this new program will add to the nation’s level of protection against this devastating disease. In the event of an outbreak, animal health officials would decide when, where and how to use the available vaccine, based on the circumstances of the outbreak.
More information is available on the APHIS website.