ASF vaccines now commercially available

CEBU, Philippines — In a relief to the country’s hog industry, a vaccine against African Swine Fever (ASF) is now commercially available, the Department of Agriculture (DA) announced.

This means that local hog raisers may now purchase the AVAC vaccine from Vietnam at veterinary shops and outlets accredited by the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI).

“When the supplier’s stocks arrive, the ASF vaccine of our hog raisers can be bought to protect and stabilize the price of pigs at the farmgate level,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr. said.

Before the commercial approval, the DA had been conducting a trial deployment of the AVAC vaccine at registered hog farms throughout the country.

He added that the DA will also meet with retailers to ensure that vaccine prices remain reasonable for hog farmers.

“The availability of a commercially approved ASF vaccine is crucial to our repopulation program. It gives hog raisers another tool to protect healthy animals as we work to rebuild the industry and secure a more stable supply of pork,” he added.

Tiu-Laurel told reporters that additional vaccines for ASF would likely be approved for commercial use by the BAI next year.

“We can see that two or three new vaccines will be approved from other countries, so there is competition,” he added, noting that sources include Korea, Thailand, and another from Vietnam.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Undersecretary Constante Palabrica said the Korean PROVAC vaccine is currently undergoing BAI testing.

Palabrica added that the agency is proposing about P1 billion next year to fund subsidized ASF vaccination programs, including vaccination for backyard pig farms.

The commercial approval of the vaccine offers a renewed boost to the hog industry, which continues to grapple with ASF. BAI data showed that the ASF outbreak has affected 76 of the country’s 82 provinces.

Hog farmers continue to recover from the effects of the virus, which has decimated hog populations, raised local pork prices, and caused billions in losses since the initial outbreak in 2019.

In Cebu, the provincial government has extended the ban on the entry of live hogs, pork, and pork products from Negros Island and other ASF-affected provinces and areas to 90 days.

This comes after Cebu Governor Pamela S. Baricuatro issued Executive Order No. 44, Series of 2026, on Aug. 20, extending the 45-day prohibition previously imposed under Executive Order No. 38. — Philippine Star News Service /IHM (FREEMAN)