Newcastle Disease Vaccination to Resume
ZIMBABWE - The Central Veterinary Laboratory Department has completed preparing 25 million doses of Newcastle vaccine.
10 July 2008
2 minute read
The vaccine will be used in the second phase of the Newcastle disease immunisation programme, according to a report in The Herald.
In an interview on 8 July, Veterinary Field Services Director Dr Unesu Ushewokunze-Obatolu was optimistic that by the end of this second phase, more farmers would obtain vaccine from Government Animal Management and Health Centres, district or provincial veterinary centres.
She said although Newcastle immunisation was on-going, the programme was suspended six months ago because the vaccines ceased to be available.
"The immunisation programme had stopped in most areas around the country because there were no vaccines. However, areas that had vaccines continued vaccinating," Dr Ushewokunze-Obatolu said.
The Herald reports that the country suffered outbreaks of Newcastle in 2001 and 2004, which intensified in 2005 and prompted the Veterinary Services Department to embark on a mass immunisation programme.
In the late 1990s, government veterinary researchers adapted a weak strain of the Newcastle disease virus called the I2 obtained from Australia, for local production as a vaccine for direct use by farmers.
