Topic
Vaccination
Active rollout · Section 10 in effect since 4 May 2026
South Africa's FMD response uses a vaccinate-to-live strategy. State vaccination and the Section 10 Routine Vaccination Scheme run alongside each other.
Two pathways alongside each other
The national rollout runs through two pathways at the same time.
State vaccination programme
Led by the Department of Agriculture through state veterinary services. Vaccine and vaccination costs are managed by the Department for animals included in the state programme. Owners are not charged for state-administered vaccination.
Section 10 Routine Vaccination Scheme
A second pathway, gazetted under Section 10 of the Animal Diseases Act and in effect since 4 May 2026. Owners of domesticated cloven-hoofed livestock can vaccinate their animals through a private veterinarian, under the oversight of state veterinary services.
Under this pathway, vaccine and vaccination costs are the responsibility of the animal owner. The scheme makes provision for possible subsidies, cost-sharing arrangements and phased implementation, but the details have not yet been confirmed.
Participation is voluntary. Owners who do not participate remain eligible to receive vaccination through state veterinary services if prioritised as part of the national strategy.
Important — what the scheme does not do
Vaccination under the scheme does not automatically change an animal’s quarantine status, movement restrictions, or the use and sale of products from vaccinated animals. These aspects sit outside Section 10 of the Animal Diseases Act and are not regulated by the scheme.
The ICC, the Ministerial Task Team and the Department are working on revised control measures. Any change to how vaccinated animals are treated for movement and trade purposes will require those control measures to be formally published.
Approved vaccines
Three vaccine sources are currently relevant to the national response. Available doses, allocation and distribution are tracked through the official rollout dashboard.
- ARC (Agricultural Research Council). Local FMD vaccine produced by the ARC at its Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute. The Transboundary Animal Diseases facility there is the WOAH reference centre for FMD in the region.
- Dollvet. Imported vaccine under Section 21 authorisation. The Dollvet consignment held at OR Tambo received SARS and State Veterinary clearance in April 2026 and was transferred for allocation.
- Biogénesis Bagó. Imported vaccine under Section 21 authorisation. The first batch was bivalent (SAT-1 and SAT-2). A subsequent batch is trivalent and includes SAT 3.
Questions about vaccination
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.