Minister John Steenhuisen on scaling up national vaccination drive after arrival of Turkish FMD vaccines

The Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, is pleased to confirm that a major consignment of 1,5 million Dollvet Foot and mouth disease (FMD) vaccines arrived at OR Tambo International Airport today.

This shipment, imported from Turkey, was facilitated by Dunevax acting as the authorised agent. The successful arrival of this batch demonstrates the Department of Agriculture’s strategic decision to partner with the private sector to secure a steady pipeline of high-potency vaccines.

Dunevax informed the department that the arrival of the vaccines on Saturday, 28 February 2026, was delayed due to the tensions in the Middle East and the restricted airspace over the Gulf States.

Building on Last Week’s Momentum

Today’s arrival follows the one million doses received Saturday 21 February 2026 from Biogénesis Bagó in Argentina. The department’s distribution network has moved with unprecedented speed.

Upon landing last week, Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) immediately dispatched the Argentine doses to the provinces.

Provincial veterinary teams, state and private, acted swiftly, with vaccination of cattle herds already well underway in high-risk areas.

On Friday, 27 February 2026, Minister Steenhuisen concluded a direct engagement with dairy farmers in the uMngeni Municipal Area to hear firsthand the challenges facing the industry. During the visit, the minister called for national unity, emphasizing that achieving an FMD-free status with vaccination is a collective effort that requires total cooperation between farmers and the state.

With millions more doses scheduled to arrive in the coming months, the ministry and department remain laser-focused on suppressing viral circulation. “The arrival of the Dollvet vaccines today is another win in our war against FMD," said Minister Steenhuisen. “By leveraging agents like Dunevax, we are proving that the department is willing to work with any partner who can help us protect our national herd. We are focused on action and results, and we will continue to deal decisively with every outbreak until South Africa is FMD-free.”

The department will continue to provide updates as these new doses are rolled out to the provinces to bolster the existing vaccination campaign.

For media enquiries, please contact:
Ms Joylene van Wyk
Director: Media Liaison, Ministry of Agriculture
Email: joylenev@nda.gov.za or medialiaison@nda.agric.za 
Mobile: 083 292 7399 or 063 298 5661

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