Kwazulu-natal: Agriculture Minister, John Steenhuisen, will this Friday officially kickstart the nationwide mass vaccination rollout against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in KwaZulu-Natal. The high-priority intervention follows the arrival of one million high-potency vaccine doses from Biog©nesis Bag³, Argentina, on Saturday.

According to South African Government News Agency, this shipment marks the largest single consignment of FMD vaccines ever to enter South Africa. It signifies the operational launch of the Department of Agriculture’s new 10-Year Strategic Plan to vaccinate the national herd. The department has reported that millions of additional doses of the FMD vaccine have been procured and are expected to arrive in the country soon.

The vaccination process is strategically phased, starting with mass vaccination in the highest-risk areas and moving to lower-risk areas. The rollout will take place at Colbourne Dairy Farm near Mooi River in the uMngeni Municipality.