South Africa Launches Local Foot-and-Mouth Vaccine Amid Outbreak

South African authorities have announced the rollout of the country's first locally developed foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine in 20 years in response to a growing outbreak affecting cattle, sheep, pigs and other cloven-hoofed animals, aiming to curb virus transmission, protect farmers' livelihoods and safeguard food security. Scientists and veterinary health officials report that the new vaccine has been formulated to match the specific strains circulating in the region, offering more robust immunity than imported alternatives, and will be deployed alongside enhanced surveillance and movement controls to limit further spread and economic losses in the agricultural sector.