Private companies in South Africa will be permitted to manufacture a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine developed locally by the Agricultural Research Council (ARC), according to Bizcommunity. The move is intended to scale up production of the vaccine beyond what the ARC currently supplies.
Bizcommunity reports that private institutions will be approached to take part in producing the vaccine. Aucamp said private institutions would be brought in for this purpose, SABC News reports.
The shift widens manufacturing of the ARC's own vaccine, which until now has been produced in-house. Reports from Moneyweb and africanfarming.com describe the same change: local firms are to be asked to make FMD vaccines, and the private sector is now allowed to manufacture the ARC's locally developed product.
FMD is a highly contagious viral disease that affects cattle, sheep, goats and other cloven-hoofed animals. The ARC's vaccine was developed to address outbreaks in South Africa, where the disease has affected livestock farming.
The decision matters because vaccine supply is central to controlling outbreaks. Bringing in private manufacturers could increase the volume of doses available, though the reporting so far does not specify which companies will be involved, how much they will produce, or when production will begin.
What to watch next: which private manufacturers are selected and whether they announce production timelines or output targets for the ARC vaccine.
