South Africa Issues First Permit to Vaccinate Against Avian Influenza

Cape town: South Africa is set to launch its first-ever poultry vaccination campaign in the coming days, marking a significant step in the country's effort to minimise the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks. This follows the Department of Agriculture's approval of a vaccination permit issued to Astral Foods Limited on 30 June 2025, authorising the company to begin vaccinations against the HPAI virus at one of its broiler breeder farms. According to South African Government News Agency, Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen made the announcement on Tuesday, confirming that the initial phase of the campaign will begin with 200,000 broiler breeders. This represents approximately five percent of Astral's total breeding stock, valued at around R35 million. Steenhuisen hailed this milestone as a testament to the strong partnership between government and the poultry industry in safeguarding national food security and protecting the livelihoods of thousands of South Africans. He emphasised t hat the vaccination campaign is a vital step to strengthen flock immunity and prevent the devastating economic losses witnessed during previous outbreaks. The 2023 outbreak resulted in millions of birds being culled, leading to severe supply disruptions that affected both producers and consumers. The vaccine being used targets the H5 strain of the virus and is already approved for use in other countries implementing vaccination strategies against HPAI. In May, South Africa suspended imports of live poultry, eggs, and fresh (including frozen) poultry meat from Brazil following an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza. The decision followed a report from Brazil's Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, confirming an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1 - clade 2.3.4.4b) on 15 May 2025.