East Java has highest FMD vaccination achievement: Governor

Surabaya, East Java (ANTARA) - The East Java government said that the province has recorded the highest foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccination coverage, with 377,985 shots administered to farm animals so far.

"The data is from the Ministry of Agriculture. Below East Java, there are Central Java, with 78,469 doses, and West Java, with 70,306 doses recorded,” East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa informed at the Grahadi State Building here on Thursday.

Vaccination is one of the provincial government’s efforts to break the chain of FMD transmission among livestock, she added.

Despite the high vaccination achievement, Parawansa urged all parties to remain alert to protect farm animals and cooperate in handling FMD.

The high achievement of FMD vaccination in East Java is in line with the province's high number of farm animals. Thus, vaccination acceleration must be carried out.

East Java has entered the second phase of vaccinations, and 600 thousand vaccine doses have been distributed to 38 districts and cities in the province for the phase, the governor informed.

The vaccine doses will be used to expand the first dose vaccination coverage and revaccinate farm animals, she said.

FMD vaccinations in the second phase will still prioritize breeder cattle, dairy cattle, beef cattle, and buffaloes.

Meanwhile, goats, sheep, and pigs will be vaccinated if 100 percent of cattle and buffaloes have been vaccinated.

The governor expressed the hope that FMD vaccine doses supplied by the central government will be distributed smoothly to regions so that vaccinations can continue to be accelerated.

According to the Animal Husbandry Office of East Java, as of Wednesday, as many as 170,255 farm animals in the province have been infected with FMD.

Of the number, 72,653 animals (42.67 percent) have recovered, 94,438 animals (55.47 percent) are still sick, 1,657 animals (0.97 percent) have been conditionally slaughtered, and 1,507 animals (0.89 percent) have died.