The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is looking for manufacturers to provide vaccines for Canada’s promised foot and mouth disease vaccine bank.
On Aug. 30, the government announced a formal request for proposals from interested providers.
“The successful bidder(s) would provide concentrated FMD (foot and mouth disease) vaccines that could be rapidly transformed into usable vaccines,” the agency said in a release.
Livestock producers were promised a vaccine bank in the 2023 federal budget. It had been a long-time ask from industry, which was wary of Canada’s reliance on U.S. vaccine sources in the case of a outbreak occur on the continent.
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The budget laid out $57.5 million over five years for the establishment of the resource and to develop foot and mouth disease response plans. The government has also said they would provide an ongoing $5.6 million for the project.
“It’s vitally important that we continue to take steps to protect livestock, and the livelihood of our hardworking farmers, against the threat of animal disease,” Agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay said in the August release.
“By creating a dedicated foot and mouth disease vaccine bank, we’re working to reduce the spread of the disease and the impact that a potential outbreak would have on market access for Canadian producers.”
The Canadian Cattle Association welcomed the Aug. 30 announcement.
“We hope to never need to use it, but having a vaccine bank in place is critical to protect Canada’s beef producers,” president Nathan Finney said. “If FMD occurred in Canada, having a vaccine would minimize spread and expedite a return to normal trade. Today’s news is positive on the progress on preparedness and is the first step of many to follow.”
