Georgia has received 345,000 doses of the vaccine for the Foot & Mouth Disease SAT-2 from the European Commission to aid immunisation efforts in cattle and small ruminants, the National Food Agency said on Thursday.
Animals in the disease-risk areas will receive preventive immunisation against the new strain of the highly contagious disease in animals, which is common in the Black Sea region but has not yet spread to Georgia.
The EU is supporting Georgia in protecting livestock & strengthening animal health. We've dispatched 345,000 doses of the Foot & Mouth Disease SAT-2 vaccine to support vaccination efforts targeting cattle and small ruminants. More: https://t.co/WqtG5QzaV9 #AnimalHealth pic.twitter.com/uBfDLaOMlv
— EU Food Safety - #EUFarm2Fork (@Food_EU) June 2, 2023
“Our European allies have made it quite apparent how crucial our country is to ensuring positive conditions in the European region as a whole”, Vasil Basiladze, the Deputy Head of the Agency, said.
He said the vaccination process was being carried out step-by-step, with the doses distributed with the “cold chain” principle.
The Agency said Georgia was one of the successful countries combating the infection after acquiring the third level of a “primary care provider”, noting efforts of the domestic authorities were now focused on acquiring the fourth and final phase of obtaining the “disease-free” status through vaccination.