South Africa has received 3.5 million additional doses of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine from Argentina [1].

The shipment is part of a larger effort to contain the disease in high-risk areas and protect the national cattle herd. Because FMD can devastate livestock populations and restrict international trade, achieving high vaccination coverage is critical for the country's agricultural stability.

Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen said the new shipment brings the total national vaccine stockpile to 13.5 million doses [1]. This supply supports a government drive to vaccinate 80% of the national cattle herd, which is estimated at 14 million animals [3].

To date, nearly 4.4 million animals have been vaccinated [4]. The government is pushing to accelerate this process to prevent further outbreaks in vulnerable regions.

This vaccination drive continues despite a High Court ruling that removed the state's exclusive control over the procurement and administration of the vaccines [2]. The administration is now working to ensure the target coverage is met even as the regulatory landscape for vaccine access changes.

Steenhuisen said the current scale of the vaccination drive is unprecedented [2]. The focus remains on securing enough doses to reach the 80% threshold across the cattle population [3].

“South Africa's total vaccine stockpile has reached 13.5 million doses.”

The arrival of these vaccines indicates a strategic shift toward aggressive containment of foot-and-mouth disease to safeguard South Africa's livestock economy. By targeting 80% of the cattle herd, the government is attempting to create a level of herd immunity that can mitigate the risk of widespread outbreaks, which is essential for maintaining export viability and food security in the region.