This was stated by the AUPB in an official statement published on its website.
In particular, it says that despite recognising the importance of the vaccine as one of the tools for controlling ASF, AUPB enterprises do not see any possibility of compromise on safety. Since the Vietnamese-made ASF vaccine candidate (AVAC Vietnam Joint Stock Corporation), which is being sought to be registered in Ukraine, does not currently have a confirmed safe product status, this carries potential risks of worsening the epizootic situation in the country. This is evidenced by:
- Warning of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) on the risks associated with the use of vaccines with unconfirmed safety and efficacy status (https://www.woah.org/app/uploads/2024/01/en-woah-positionstatement-asf-substandard-vaccines.pdf). According to the WOAH, none of the candidates currently have vaccine status because they have not passed the validation process.
- Statement of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) of the US Department of Agriculture (https://www.federalregister. gov/documents/2022/10/27/2022-23446/notice-of-withdrawal-of-select-agent-regulatory-exclusions-for-two-strains-of-african-swine-fever) on the removal of ASFV-G-ΔMGF (used to create the AVAC ASF Live vaccine) and ASFV-G-Δ9GL/ΔMGF from the list of microorganisms allowed to be imported into the United States, due to the fact that that APHIS ‘analysed new information on safety and genomic instability that could lead to the restoration of virulence and determined that they [these strains] could pose a serious threat to animal health and the safety of animal products’.
- The study (Assessment of African swine fever vaccine candidate ASFV-G-∆MGF in a reversion to virulence study at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37248243/), which shows that the ASFV-G-∆MGF vaccine virus (used to create the AVAC ASF Live vaccine) regains virulence (ability to infect).
- Research (Challenges in the Application of African Swine Fever Vaccines in Asia at https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/14/17/2473) confirms that the ASFV-GUS-Vietnam strain, which is identical to ASFV-G-ΔMGF (used to create the AVAC ASF Live vaccine), plays a role in the ASF epidemic situation in Vietnam. It was detected in 2021, before the vaccine was registered in Vietnam, which shows ‘that the illegal use of inappropriate vaccines can not only contribute to the spread of the disease, but also promote the emergence of new variants in regions in addition to the risk of recombination between different ASF genotypes’.
In its statement, the AUPB also commented:
‘Every Ukrainian pork producer is now at risk of ASF. The situation is greatly complicated by the lack of compensation programmes for the liquidated livestock. However, this does not mean that the industry is losing its vigilance and taking decisions that will have consequences for everyone lightly. Today, the issue of registering an ASF vaccine candidate in Ukraine is not limited to the risks of an individual enterprise that decides to use a product whose safety has not been proven. It is about the consequences for the epizootic situation in the country and neighbouring countries, the impact on foreign trade in pig products, and Ukraine's integration into the EU. Therefore, the discussion is carried out in a wide circle of experts, involving relevant agencies, the competent authority, expertise of domestic and international organisations and scientific institutions. According to the conclusions of the last such roundtable, organised under the auspices of the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine (27 March 2024), it was decided to continue monitoring the progress of the ASF vaccine development and not to support the initiative to register a Vietnamese vaccine candidate, given the risks and lack of evidence of its safety and quality.’
The Association is a participant in such negotiations and supports the publication of only official data and position!
The Association of Ukrainian Pig Breeders is a non-profit, voluntary organisation founded by domestic pork producers. The main goals of the association are to represent and protect the rights and interests of the association's farms, promote the development and implementation of new technologies for efficient pork production, expand sales markets, and protect the domestic market.