In early August, Dr Steve Cornelius of Onderstepoort Biological Products released a statement confirming that laboratory upgrades hada compromised the production of a number of a number of vaccines – including African Horse Sickness – resulting in a countrywide shortage.
Although availability was expected to return to normal in October, horse owners and health care practitioners across the country have endured a nervous wait, but will be relieved to know that the AHS vaccine is officially back in production and the first few batches have already been distributed.
Dr Jacob Madumo
In a telephonic interview with the Sporting Post on 22 October 2014, Onderstepoort’s Dr Jacob Madumo confirmed that laboratory production is returning to normal. The first small batches of African Horse Sickness vaccine have already been dispatched and they will start distributing larger quantities as of next week.
The laboratory will be upscaling production and the quantity of vaccines being produced will be stepped up as much as possible going forward.
Onderstepoort uses UTI as their distribution company and have urged all centres requiring vaccines to place orders directly with UTI.
