USDA Pushing Forward With National Animal Vaccine Bank

WASHINGTON, DC – As the world continues to watch the fallout from African Swine Fever (ASF) situation, U.S. officials continue to push forward with the development of a National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank. The effort, outlined Thursday by USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), includes moving forward with developing a Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) Vaccine Bank. The first priority of the bank is to increase the U.S. stockpile of FMD vaccines. APHIS is issuing a request for proposals and plans to have the initial FMD vaccine contracts in place by the end of the second quarter of FY2020. The agency’s goal is to invest between $15 million and $30 million on the vaccine by the end of this year. Currently, USDA does not have access to enough vaccines to avoid devastating economic consequences to the U.S. economy, should an outbreak occur.