EU hands over 529,000 foot-and-mouth disease vaccine doses to Cyprus

Nicosia, Cyprus. The European Union has handed over 529,000 vaccines against foot-and-mouth disease to Cyprus, EU Health Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi said on Saturday night.

EU delivery and commissioner statement

Varhelyi said in a social media post that “529,000 vaccine doses from the EU vaccines bank arrived in Cyprus today to help fight foot and mouth disease.”
He added that the European Commission supports Cyprus authorities in efforts to control the consequences of the outbreak and said strict biosecurity rules are essential to prevent further spread.

Additional doses and vaccination plan

The shipment adds to 60,000 doses given by the Turkish Cypriot community at the end of last week, which it had received from the EU in December to fight an FMD outbreak there.
Authorities initially vaccinated all cows within a 3-kilometre radius of the first reported case and are now vaccinating those within a 10-kilometre radius, to be followed by pigs and then sheep and goats.

Culling and outbreak details

The arrival of the doses followed the start of burial of culled animals, which began on Saturday.
The outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in areas of Larnaca last month was earlier confirmed to be the same serotype as that circulating in the north.

How closely are local stakeholders following strict biosecurity rules to prevent further spread of the disease?