DA studying calls for emergency use of ASF vaccine

MANILA, Philippines — A request by hog farmers for President Marcos to issue emergency use authorization (EUA) for an African swine fever (ASF) vaccine is being studied, according to Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.

The grant of the EUA will depend on Marcos, who will decide whether to declare the current ASF outbreak a national emergency, Tiu Laurel said.

“We will study their request, which will give backyard hog raisers greater access to ASF vaccine,” he said.

Tiu Laurel said hog farmers have asked for his help in convincing Marcos to approve the EUA for an ASF vaccine manufactured in Vietnam.

The EUA issuance will help facilitate the availability and use of medical countermeasures, including vaccines, during public health emergencies.

The EUA was used during the COVID pandemic, which allowed the procurement and use of vaccines to combat the virus.

Hog farmers led by AGAP party-list Rep. Nicanor Briones asked Marcos to declare the ASF outbreak as a national emergency to enable the mass use of vaccines currently undergoing trial by the Department of Agriculture.

The group said the vaccine was previously tested in Vietnam and the Philippines’ recent controlled trial showed favorable results.

It said a majority of inoculated pigs in Lobo, Batangas developed antibodies.

Up to 6.3 million piglets and fatteners can be inoculated once the government issues an EUA for the Vietnam-made vaccine, the group said.

The EUA will benefit backyard hog raisers who have been incurring losses since ASF started affecting pigs in 2019.