PH clinical study on ASF vaccine enters next phase

MANILA – The clinical study on a vaccine against the African swine fever (ASF) in the country has so far yielded positive results as experts enter the next phase of the trial, according to the Department of Agriculture.

In a press briefing on Monday, DA Secretary William Dar said they have successfully conducted an initial trial from February 10 to May 6 in San Miguel, Bulacan, in collaboration with the Bureau of Animal Industry and the Universal Robina Corporation.

“In the trial, no clinical signs associated with ASF disease were observed and minimal non-ASF related mortality was posted,” Dar said.

Following the initial trial, the DA-BAI and Robina Corporation will now proceed to the second phase, which is targeted to be concluded by June.

“The outcome was good! We were really encouraged. So what we will do in Phase 2, all of the vaccinated, we will place them in the previously infected farm hit by the ASF, for them to be greatly challenged. At the same time, we will feed them with infected blood and pancreas),” Universal Robina Corporation Director Dante Palabrica said in Filipino.

Palabrica also noted that it would be a game-changer for the livestock industry if the next phase would produce positive results in June.

“According to Thailand, it will take them 10 years for its hog industry to recover. They have lost 50 percent. And it will take eight years for the Philippines. But with this vaccine game-changer. Maybe for the next five years, maybe we can go back to the pre-pandemic [level], we need this,” he added.

The DA-BAI and Universal Robina Corporation particularly used the ASF vaccine from Thailand, which has a shelf life of two to six months and can be stored at varying temperatures.

To date only, 12 barangays have active cases of ASF, significantly lower than the 3,774 recorded affected barangays before the onset of the pandemic.

Dar, meanwhile, noted that the repopulation program should be intensified alongside their pursuit of securing an effective vaccine against ASF.

“One good indication is the livestock sector only contracted 1 percent this first quarter, which is an implication that the repopulation program is working,” he said.