Directive No. 2349/CT-BNN-TY on Strengthening Vaccination Work for Livestock and Poultry

DIRECTIVE

Regarding the promotion of vaccination work for livestock and poultry

On October 13, 2005, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development issued Decision No. 63/2005/QĐ-BNN stipulating mandatory vaccination for livestock and poultry, which includes the following diseases: Foot-and-mouth disease; Swine fever; Anthrax; Bovine pleuropneumonia; Rabies; Newcastle disease; Duck plague.

The recent epidemic situation among livestock and poultry herds in the country has been very complex, particularly foot-and-mouth disease in livestock and blue ear disease in pigs. Many localities have experienced widespread outbreaks, causing many animals to fall ill and die, resulting in significant economic losses, social welfare impacts, and severe environmental damage. One of the main reasons is that some localities have not adequately prioritized vaccination work, and many farmers have not strictly followed the regulations. In some areas, the vaccination rate is very low, reaching only about 10%, and in some places, there has been no vaccination at all.

To address this issue and stabilize the epidemic situation among livestock and poultry herds as soon as possible, contributing to promoting growth in the livestock sector, reducing losses for farmers, and saving state budget support for farmers with diseased animals that need to be destroyed, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development requests the People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities, Departments of Agriculture and Rural Development, and relevant departments and agencies at the local level to implement the following contents:

1. On vaccination:

1.1. The People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities shall direct the development and approval of annual vaccination plans for diseases listed in the Compulsory Vaccination List issued by Decision No. 63/2005/QĐ-BNN dated October 13, 2005 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. At the same time, they shall issue directives requiring all levels of government, related sectors, and farmers to strictly implement the local plan; the vaccination rate must reach 100% as prescribed. Supplementary vaccinations for livestock and poultry must be carried out continuously between main vaccination rounds. Local veterinary authorities with jurisdiction must maintain records of vaccinations, issue vaccination certificates for reference when necessary, and provide a basis for issuing health certificates for transportation.

1.2. For pig herds, based on the epidemiological characteristics of diseases in pigs in their locality, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shall propose to the provincial People's Committee to issue directives for additional vaccinations against diseases such as swine paratyphoid, swine erysipelas, and blue ear disease in high-risk areas where outbreaks have occurred. For poultry, vaccines for avian influenza must be administered.

1.3. Farmers who fail to comply with the regulations on vaccinating against the aforementioned diseases will not be eligible for state budget support when outbreaks occur, in accordance with the spirit of Decision No. 719/QĐ-TTg dated June 5, 2008 of the Prime Minister.

1.4. Except for vaccines supported by the Government, for other types of vaccines, localities may provide support according to their local budget capacity or charge fees and service charges for vaccination in accordance with the regulations of the Ministry of Finance.

2. On information dissemination and propaganda

2.1. The People's Committees of provinces and centrally-administered cities shall direct the Provincial Department of Information and Communications and local news agencies to develop communication plans and organize propaganda down to individual farming households regarding the regulations on compulsory vaccination for diseases issued by Decision No. 63/2005/QĐ-BNN of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

2.2. Propaganda should be conducted on the Government's policy of supporting farmers whose livestock and poultry have been destroyed due to epidemics, stipulating that only those farmers who comply with regulations on preventing and controlling livestock and poultry diseases will be eligible for support under Decision No. 719/QĐ-TTg of the Prime Minister.

3. On reporting procedures

3.1. After being approved by the competent authority, the local vaccination plan must be sent to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (Animal Health Service) for monitoring and tracking implementation.

3.2. Based on the vaccination plan, the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development must submit written reports quarterly on the vaccination work in the locality after each round of vaccination, including (by county unit): total number of livestock and poultry in the locality; quantity of livestock and poultry vaccinated for each type of disease; vaccination rate achieved for each type of disease; time frame for implementing vaccination for each type of disease; vaccine types used,...

4. Implementation organization

4.1. The provincial People's Committee shall issue directives on mandatory vaccination for dangerous diseases as prescribed; assign the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (Provincial Animal Health Service) and the district People's Committee to implement; assign the Provincial Department of Information and Communications and local news agencies, grassroots authorities to disseminate policies and guidelines from the Government and local authorities on vaccination to farmers.

4.2. The district People's Committee shall cooperate with the Provincial Animal Health Service to implement the vaccination plan, including organizing training on vaccination techniques; preparing vaccine supplies and injection equipment; and directing the grassroots authorities to organize support forces for vaccination.

4.3. The Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shall take the lead and coordinate with the Provincial Department of Finance to develop the local vaccination plan (specific financial, human resource, time, and equipment plans for vaccination work for compulsory diseases and other dangerous diseases circulating in the locality), and submit it to the provincial People's Committee for approval.

4.4. The Animal Health Service shall be responsible for guiding, supervising, urging, and inspecting localities in developing and implementing annual vaccination plans for compulsory diseases as prescribed; compiling vaccination results from localities to report to the Ministry and the Prime Minister.

To promptly control and prevent animal diseases, reduce the risk of environmental pollution caused by the disposal of diseased animals, ensure food safety, and contribute to political, economic, and social stability, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development requests the People's Committees of provinces and centrally governed cities, as well as relevant departments and agencies at local levels, to strictly and urgently implement the contents of this Directive. In the course of implementation, if there are difficulties or obstacles, they should report to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for coordinated resolution./.