Morocco Launches Nationwide Livestock Vaccination Drive Against Major Animal Diseases

In addition to the booster vaccination campaign for cattle against foot-and-mouth disease, ONSSA has also launched a preventive mass vaccination campaign of the sheep herd against sheep pox and peste des petits ruminants (PPR) and the goat herd against PPR.

In a press release, ONSSA explains the rationale for these campaigns, which "are mainly aimed at strengthening the immunity of the national herd against these three animal diseases (foot-and-mouth disease, sheep pox, and peste des petits ruminants), which are not transmissible to humans".

According to the same source, the office is organizing these campaigns free of charge for breeders. The provincial veterinary services of the office and the mandated veterinary practitioners are in charge.

The office had conducted two nationwide vaccination campaigns for cattle against FMD last year. In total, 2.97 million head of cattle were vaccinated during the first campaign and 2.6 million during the booster campaign. Similarly, more than 27.5 million head of sheep and goats were vaccinated against this disease, representing nearly the entire national herd.