The authorities in Surabaya, East Java, targeted to vaccinate 100 cows in Wonocolo area on Saturday as part of the first stage of livestock vaccinations to counter the spread of the foot-and-mouth (FMD) disease.
Head of the Surabaya Food and Agriculture Security Office, Antiek Sugiharti, said that on June 24, 2022, the office received a total of 600 vaccine doses from the East Java Livestock Service Office.
"The target for the first stage of the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccination is 600 dairy cows and beef cattle, (all of) which will not be slaughtered for at least a year," Sugiharti informed.
The vaccination is meant for cattle that, based on the results of an examination by medical or veterinary paramedics, have been declared to be in good health or are not showing clinical symptoms of foot-and-mouth disease, she said.
The vaccination will be administered in three phases, with the second dose provided one month after the first vaccination and the booster vaccination six months after the second vaccination. The vaccine can be administered to calves that are at least two weeks old.
"The schedule for vaccination is from June 24 to July 7, 2022, on farms that have met some requirements," Sugiharti said.
Only livestock that meet certain requirements will be administered the vaccine. For instance, it will need to be confirmed that they have not been exposed to the virus or been in contact with animals suffering from FMD and that they have never been infected or recovered from the disease.
"(They must be) a minimum of two weeks old and may not be cut/slaughtered within the next one year after vaccination," the official added.
Since the disease broke out, the office has carried out routine surveillance by dispatching a team of doctors to several farms in the city. The medical personnel have been tasked with monitoring and treating sick livestock.
"For healthy livestock, we provide vitamins. So, we already have a map of the location for vaccination," she said.
She assured that the products from vaccinated dairy cows are safe for consumption.
"The milk is safe for consumption, so there is no effect on the quality of dairy cow's milk," she added.
Editor : Didik Kusbiantoro
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