South Africa’s poultry industry is preparing for the introduction of a regulatory framework that will allow producers to vaccinate their flocks against highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).
The framework, approved by the Department of Agriculture in June, marks a significant shift away from relying primarily on mass culling and towards a strategy that combines vaccination with strict biosecurity and disease surveillance.
Industry pushed for change
The move follows a formal objection submitted by the South African Poultry Association (SAPA), which argued that the country’s existing HPAI control measures were no longer practical or affordable. The industry said producers had been left without modern legal options to reduce the impact of recurring bird flu outbreaks.
Following a review of the case, the Department of Agriculture approved amendments to the Animal Diseases Regulations allowing the controlled use of HPAI vaccines under government oversight. The framework establishes a legal basis for vaccination while maintaining strict requirements for surveillance, testing and outbreak management.
Vaccination alongside biosecurity
The introduction of vaccination will not replace existing disease control measures. Instead, it will form part of a broader strategy that includes enhanced biosecurity, active surveillance and ongoing monitoring for avian influenza.
Authorities have also stressed the importance of maintaining international animal health standards to safeguard South Africa’s poultry exports. Vaccination programmes will therefore be accompanied by monitoring systems capable of distinguishing infected birds from vaccinated birds, helping to maintain confidence among trading partners.
Building resilience
South Africa’s poultry sector has experienced several damaging HPAI outbreaks in recent years. The 2023 epidemic resulted in the loss of millions of birds through disease and culling, causing severe egg shortages, disrupting poultry production and increasing prices for consumers.
The new vaccination framework is expected to strengthen the industry’s resilience against future outbreaks by reducing dependence on large-scale culling while improving long-term disease management. Poultry producers will be able to vaccinate only within the approved framework and in accordance with conditions set by the Department of Agriculture, which will continue to oversee approvals, surveillance and compliance.