South Africa has just leveled up its fight against foot-and-mouth disease with its first locally produced vaccine in 20 years! 🌍 This breakthrough comes as the country battles its worst outbreak in decades, threatening 12 million cattle nationwide.
Vaccine Stats You Need to Know
🚀 12,900 doses released this week
📈 Scaling to 20,000 weekly doses by March 2026
🎯 Goal: Protect 80% of national herd (9.6M cattle!)
Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen called this a game-changer for "vaccine sovereignty," reducing reliance on imports from Botswana and Argentina. But farmers aren't all cheering yet – some groups threaten lawsuits over what they call a "slow and fragmented" government response.
Why This Matters
Foot-and-mouth disease slashes milk production and causes painful blisters in cattle. While rarely deadly, outbreaks can devastate livelihoods – especially for small-scale farmers. With 7.2M commercial cattle at risk, this vaccine rollout could be South Africa's economic lifeline.
