Global Pork Crisis Alert: WOAH Warns Against Rushed Swine Fever Vaccines Amid Vietnam's Bold Export Plans!
The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) is sounding the alarm over the need for more extensive testing of African swine fever vaccines. This urgent call comes in response to Vietnam's upcoming plans to export vaccine doses worldwide, aimed at combating a disease that has been wreaking havoc on pig farms across the globe.
In a historic move, Vietnam greenlit two attenuated live-virus vaccines against this swine fever in July. This disease, while not harmful to humans, poses a significant threat to pigs and has repeatedly disrupted the global pork market—a sector valued at around $250 billion in 2022, according to Research and Markets. However, WOAH has raised concerns that AVAC Vietnam JSC, the manufacturer of one of these vaccines, hasn't provided enough data to international experts and organizations.
Gregorio Torres, the science department head at WOAH, is advising countries considering AVAC's vaccines to conduct their own tests before giving the green light. This cautious stance comes especially after AVAC was set to announce agreements with vaccine importers in several Asian countries. WOAH's warning of potential risks from "sub-standard vaccines" was a direct response to Vietnam's announcements, although not specifically linked to any particular vaccine.
AVAC, on its part, maintains that its vaccine is safe, with COO Nguyen Van Diep expressing confidence in the product's efficacy and safety. He said that AVAC has shared data, and Nguyen Van Long from Vietnam's Animal Health Department mentioned that trial data had been discussed at international forums.
The vaccine has reportedly been used safely in 17 Vietnamese provinces since its approval, with rising sales figures. Interestingly, the AVAC vaccine's origins trace back to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), although the USDA hasn't had access to Vietnam's trial data.
Torres underlined the broader implications of releasing a suboptimal vaccine into the market, particularly in countries facing ongoing epidemics. The challenge in such scenarios is the difficulty in differentiating between infections from the wild virus and the attenuated virus in the vaccine.
With African swine fever being incurable and highly fatal, countries are eagerly seeking effective vaccines. China, too, has developed several vaccines but has yet to receive commercial approval.
AVAC is ramping up production, aiming to export millions of doses, with potential approval from recipient countries like the Philippines expected soon.
WOAH is also discussing a new global standard for evaluating ASF vaccines, which might be approved at the WOAH general assembly in May. This standard could influence trade policies, particularly against countries using sub-standard vaccines in pork-exporting industries.
The Philippines, still awaiting vaccine approval, is facing a national emergency due to ASF, underscoring the critical role of effective and safe vaccines in ensuring food security. Other countries like India, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Malaysia are also in the queue for vaccine approval but have yet to comment publicly.
Meanwhile, the second approved ASF vaccine by Vietnam's Navetco Central Veterinary Medicine, based on a USDA platform, has shared promising trial data and is undergoing tests in the Dominican Republic. This unfolding scenario puts a spotlight on the delicate balance between urgently needed solutions and the thorough vetting required for global animal health and safety.
