Ottawa - The following advocacy by DFC and other stakeholders, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced additional progress towards the development of Canada’s first foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine bank.
Contracts awarded to Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health and Biogénesis Bagó SA will supply multiple types of vaccine products, marking a significant step towards the creation of a dedicated Canadian FMD vaccine bank, to which the Government of Canada committed $57.5 million towards over five years in 2023.
“Today’s announcement is a welcome and pivotal step towards enhancing existing industry defenses, offering producers another critical tool to minimize the impact and return Canada back to 'FMD-free' status in the event of an outbreak," said David Wiens, President of Dairy Farmers of Canada. "This is vital for protecting animal health and farm sustainability, contributing to a safe, reliable, and consistent food supply for Canadians.”
This announcement, the result of close collaboration between Canada’s federal, provincial and territorial governments and agricultural stakeholders, will strengthen Canada’s existing measures, including strict import requirements, on-farm biosecurity measures, and disease surveillance.
It also complements Canada’s current access to vaccines through the North American Foot and Mouth Disease Vaccine Bank, ensuring readily available vaccines for Canadian producers in the event of an FMD outbreak.
FMD is a severe, highly communicable viral disease of cattle and swine. An outbreak would result in an immediate ban on exports of those animals and their associated products. It is estimated that such an outbreak could come with a financial impact on the Canadian economy of $50 to $65 billion.
Source : Dairy Farmers of canada