Expedite FMD vaccine supply to TN: CM Stalin

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Saturday urged Union Minister of Animal Husbandry Parshottam Rupala to expedite the supply of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccines to Tamil Nadu to avoid an outbreak of the disease and prevent economic hardship of farmers.

In his letter to the minister, Stalin recalled that the supply of vaccine doses was staggered during the last round of vaccination. Because of this, Tamil Nadu took six months more to complete the vaccination schedule which is not in line with the FMD vaccination protocol.

The next round of FMD vaccination in Tamil Nadu should have taken place in September, but the state is still waiting to receive its due of 90 lakh doses. The letter said the state had already requested the Centre to send these doses in a single instalment.  

The CM pointed out that the timely availability of vaccines is essential to maintain herd immunity among the susceptible cattle population and to prevent FMD. TN vaccinated cattle at six-month intervals from 2011 to 2019.  The vaccines cater to approximately 94 lakh cattle and buffaloes across the state. Under the National Animal Disease Control Programme for FMD, rolled out in February 2020, 87.03 lakh cattle were vaccinated.