مسودة تلزم مستوردي الخيول المشاركة في الفعاليات بتحصينها بلقاح الإنفلونزا

The National Center for Plant Protection and Animal Diseases Prevention and Control has revealed a draft program for livestock vaccination in the Kingdom.

The procedures for imported animals or birds include requiring the importer to vaccinate the imported animals immediately upon their arrival in the Kingdom if they have not been vaccinated in the country of origin, in accordance with the approved conditions.

According to the draft, importers are required to vaccinate against the diseases specified in the health certificate from the country of origin as per the approved conditions, and this procedure is considered mandatory. All imported horses participating in local events and festivals must be vaccinated with the equine influenza vaccine.

The draft confirmed the prohibition of transporting and stressing vaccinated animals for 14 days after vaccination to assess the effectiveness of the vaccination, conducting annual serological surveys to measure immunity levels, raising awareness among breeders about the importance of vaccination and follow-up, and reporting any side effects of vaccination to the toll-free number. Additionally, dairy projects and livestock and sheep breeding and fattening operations are required to vaccinate their animals with the specified vaccines, and compliance with this is a mandatory condition to ensure the continuity of the activity.

Poultry Vaccination

The specific procedures for poultry vaccination include properly storing vaccines, preventing exposure to unsuitable temperatures or direct sunlight, adhering to the recommended dosage or vaccination schedule to avoid weakened immune responses and increased disease risks, using unsuitable water for vaccination and avoiding water containing chlorine or heavy metals, which affect vaccine efficacy, ensuring the vaccine's validity and not using expired or improperly stored vaccines, avoiding vaccination under unsuitable environmental conditions such as during heat stress or the presence of other diseases, which reduces the efficiency of the immune response, and avoiding the use of contaminated or unsterilized tools. Testing the birds' response to vaccination through laboratory tests or field monitoring may lead to disease spread due to weakened immune responses.

Targeted Vaccines

The draft indicated the identification of targeted vaccines for application in the Kingdom according to epidemiological priorities, the adoption of a list of mandatory vaccines for livestock vaccination within the Kingdom, localizing the production and manufacturing of veterinary vaccines to achieve national self-sufficiency, and ensuring the storage, transportation, and preservation of veterinary vaccines within an effective supply chain system.

It also includes implementing monitoring, follow-up, and auditing of vaccination operations and the effectiveness of the vaccines used, and establishing comprehensive databases covering all stages of the supply chain, ensuring the quality performance of suppliers, manufacturers, warehouses, distributors, and beneficiaries according to the approved standards.

Prevention of Infectious and Epidemic Diseases

The program aims to prevent infectious and epidemic diseases and limit their spread, as vaccination plays a fundamental role in protecting livestock and enhancing their health and productivity.

The program contributes to protecting public health from zoonotic diseases and reducing the economic losses resulting from the outbreak of these diseases.

It focuses on vaccinating against the most significant diseases affecting animals according to the epidemiological situation in different regions of the Kingdom, while striving to increase vaccination coverage rates.

This helps achieve food security, ensure the sustainability of livestock, improve the national economy, reduce reliance on antibiotics and emergency measures, and limit the phenomenon of microbial resistance.