Unauthorized ASF vaccines seized in Cabanatuan City, urgent call for FDA approval
Law enforcement officers in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, recovered up to 100 doses of unauthorized African Swine Fever (ASF) vaccines in a recent buy-bust operation.
The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), working alongside representatives from the Department of Agriculture (DA), successfully apprehended suspects Tonneth Vega and Eladio Bautista.
The duo was allegedly involved in the illicit sale of vaccines that have not yet received official approval for distribution in the Philippines.
Since the ASF outbreak in 2019, which has caused over P200 billion in damages on the country’s hog industry, approximately 50% of the Philippines’ hog population remains affected by the virus.
Despite the severity of the situation, DA Undersecretary Deogracias Victor Savellano emphasized the importance of not resorting to shortcuts in addressing the ASF crisis.
Savellano stated in Filipino, “For the sake of our collective efforts to provide a safe and effective ASF vaccine, we cannot tolerate compromises like the illegal sale and usage of ASF vaccines. We must diligently put an end to all sales of these fraudulent vaccines to safeguard the livestock industry.”
Authorities have been actively pursuing leads related to illegal sales of the AVAC ASF Vaccine, uncovering instances of online scams perpetrated by fake resellers.
Dr. Niño Bagui, Assistant Vice President of Soro-soro Ibaba Development Cooperative—one of the largest hog farm cooperatives in the country—commented on the incident, noting that it underscores the pressures faced by some farmers in the wake of the ASF outbreak.
He stated, “This unfortunate event highlights the anxieties and desperation within a sector of our agricultural industry, which criminals are clearly exploiting. We earnestly hope that our officials at the Food and Drug Administration can prioritize the pending application for approval of the ASF vaccine, which has successfully completed its testing phase.”
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