Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Agriculture Ministry has vaccinated 1,519 heads of livestock in Central Java and East Java in order to check the spread of the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) in Indonesia.
The vaccination data will continue to rise with the launch of mass vaccinations in Pamulihan and Sumedang, West Java, on Monday, Head of the ministry's Public Relations and Public Information Bureau Kuntoro Boga Andri said.
Mass vaccinations will be taken up in other provinces and cities simultaneously, he informed while delivering an online press statement on the latest development of FMD handling in Indonesia on Monday.
The ministry, along with regional governments, has prepared procedures that will need to be followed while carrying out vaccinations.
They comprise ensuring the utilization of emergency FMD vaccines in accordance with the target and monitoring livestock cases and locations to ensure that the vaccinations are accurate and match the target.
They also entail ensuring that the vaccines are in good condition, the vaccination workers are trained, and conducting dissemination among farmers on FMD vaccination's condition and importance.
Vaccination is a permanent method for controlling FMD and building livestock immunity against the virus, Andri explained.
Related news: Government expedites FMD vaccination for livestock to control outbreak
Therefore, the government is planning to carry out vaccinations quickly and on a large scale to achieve herd immunity in at least 80 percent of the vulnerable animal population.
According to the ministry's data, as of June 20, 2022, a total of 206 Indonesian districts or cities in 19 provinces have been affected by FMD.
So far, 211,034 heads of livestock have contracted FMD, with 66,582 recovering, 141,342 still sick, 1,888 undergoing conditional slaughter, and 1,222 dying of the infection.
Provinces that have reported FMD cases include East Java (83,491), West Nusa Tenggara (31,845), Aceh (25,293), Central Java (24,076), West Java (24,076), North Sumatra (8,931), Yogyakarta (4,902), West Sumatra (3,628), and Bangka Belitung Islands (2,462).
West Kalimantan (1,222), Banten (1,020), Jambi (617), Jakarta (610), Lampung (323), South Kalimantan (315), Riau (225), South Sumatra (207), Central Kalimantan (194), and Bengkulu (190) have also reported infections.
Related news: Public should stay calm amid FMD infection: West Java Governor
