The Government of Canada is continuing to advance its work of protecting animal health by establishing a foot and mouth disease (FMD) vaccine bank, according to a news release from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).
The vaccine bank is a key part of Canada’s response plans to control and ultimately eliminate an outbreak of FMD should it be detected in Canadian animals, CFIA said.
In late August, a Request for Proposal (RFP) was issued by Public Services and Procurement Canada, on behalf of the CFIA, to supply vaccine products to the FMD vaccine bank.
The successful bidder(s) would provide concentrated FMD vaccines that could be rapidly transformed into usable vaccines. Information about the RFP including requirements, criteria, processes and timelines is available to interested bidders on CanadaBuys.
“It’s vitally important that we continue to take steps to protect livestock, and the livelihood of our hardworking farmers, against the threat of animal disease. By creating a dedicated foot and mouth disease vaccine bank, we’re working to reduce the spread of the disease and the impact that a potential outbreak would have on market access for Canadian producers. The announcement marks another step forward in the on-going work of supporting our animal disease preparedness efforts,” said Lawrence MacAulay, Canada Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, in the release.
The vaccine bank would help protect Canada from the emerging threat of FMD, maintain public confidence in the Canadian food supply, and help reduce the spread of the disease, should an outbreak occur. An effective and efficient response, including vaccination, will also help mitigate prolonged market disruptions to trade.
Quick Facts
- Budget 2023 committed $57.5 million over five years, with $5.6 million ongoing, to the CFIA to establish an FMD vaccine bank for Canada, and to develop FMD response plans.
- FMD is a severe, highly communicable viral disease of cattle and swine. It also affects sheep, goats, deer and other cloven-hoofed ruminants but not horses. Many affected animals recover, but the disease leaves them weakened and debilitated.
- Canada has been free from FMD since 1952, and strict measures are in place to prevent the disease from entering Canada. FMD is not a public health risk and is not considered a food safety issue.
- The CFIA would use a vaccine only in the event of an outbreak to protect animals and help stop the spread of disease. This complements Canada’s current access to vaccines through the North American Foot and Mouth Disease Vaccine Bank (NAFMDVB) ensuring readily available vaccines for Canadian producers.
- In Canada, FMD is a reportable disease under the Health of Animals Act, and all suspect cases must be reported to the CFIA.
- The CFIA monitors the status of FMD worldwide and has emergency preparedness and response plans ready.
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