SENATOR Cynthia Villar warned yesterday that the country’s already ailing hog industry may further be endangered with the proliferation of the African Swine Flu (ASF) vaccines in the black market.
Villar, chairperson of the Senate agriculture and food committee, noted that this new challenge over imported ASF vaccines from Vietnam will put at greater risk the country’s hog industry.
Due to this, Villar launched yesterday her committee hearing to look into the importation of ASF vaccines from Vietnam.
She questioned the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) on the use of ASF vaccine on our pigs even it was not yet approved in Vietnam.
She also pressed the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for allowing the importation of the vaccine for the same reason- prior to approval by Vietnam of the vaccine which researchers came from the United States.
BAI assistant director Arlene Vytiaco admitted that they had the clinical trials on AVAC Vietnam JSC, AVAC ASF LIVE vaccine produced for commercial use, but insisted it was just a field trial and their first new trial.
But Villar pointed out it was made June 2, 2023 and Vietnam approved the vaccine July 2023.
Bakit nauna ka pa sa Vietnam? (Why did you act ahead of Vietnam?)” Villar pressed Vytiaco as she further confronted her of being a relative of the supplier.
Vytiaco however, vehemently denied the allegation.
The senator then asked her if there can be a field trial without approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Vytiaco said the FDA issued a special import permit for the vaccine on June 23.
The FDA said it issued authority to import only for clinical trial.
“It was approved in Vietnam July 2023 and you granted, (June 23, 2023j, you updated,” Villar shot back the FDA.
She also asked FDA to explain how come the field trial as recommended by Vytiaco was done June 2, 2023 while the grant of importation for the vaccine was June 23.
Meanwhile, Villar said the Vietnam company has already shipped 300,000 doses of the vaccines to the Philippimes since its approval, “but that was last July 2 (2023).”
Vytiaco said they recommended last June 2, 2023 the AVAC doses which have been proven effective following the completion of the safety and efficacy trials in at least six areas in Luzon.
Vytiaco noted that 100 percent of the hogs vaccinated during the trials produced antibodies and showed no ill or side effects.
Citing Reuters report, the senator said the Vietnam government will export to the Philippines 2 million doses of the vaccines this October.
However, she disclosed that buyers of the vaccine were asked to sign a waiver of secrecy on the monitored effect of the vaccine on their animals.
The World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) presented its initial report in August 2023; saying that they have not come up with a vaccination protocol and emphasized that care must be exercised prior to implementing ASF vaccine.