Common questions

FMD is a highly contagious viral disease that affects cloven-hoofed animals, including cattle, pigs, sheep and goats. It does not affect humans. Outbreaks affect animal health, trade, and the livelihoods of everyone in the livestock value chain.

Not yet formally. Four things still need to happen: the Section 10 Committee must be established, the FMD Management Manual must be issued, vaccine must be allocated for use under the scheme, and private veterinarians must be formally authorised by the National Director of Animal Health.

Under the state vaccination programme, this is managed by the Department of Agriculture. Under the Section 10 Routine Vaccination Scheme, vaccine and vaccination costs are the responsibility of the animal owner.

The scheme provides for possible subsidies and cost-sharing arrangements, but the details have not yet been confirmed.

No. Vaccination under Section 10 does not automatically change quarantine status, movement restrictions, or how products from vaccinated animals are used or sold. Those matters are being worked on separately and would require formal published control measures.