Agriculture issues first permit to vaccinate against Avian Influenza

The Minister of Agriculture, John Steenhuisen, is pleased to announce that, in the coming days, South Africa will embark on its first-ever vaccination of poultry as a proactive measure to minimise the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks.

This follows the Department of Agriculture’s issuance of a vaccination permit to Astral Foods Limited on 30 June 2025, authorising the company to begin vaccinating against the HPAI virus at one of its broiler breeder farms.

The vaccination campaign will begin with 200 000 broiler breeders, representing approximately 5% of Astral’s total breeding stock, valued at an estimated R35 million.

Minister Steenhuisen welcomed this milestone as a testament to the strong partnership between government and the poultry industry in safeguarding national food security and protecting the livelihoods of thousands of South Africans. He emphasised that this vaccination campaign is a vital step to strengthen flock immunity and prevent the devastating economic losses witnessed during previous outbreaks. The 2023 outbreak resulted in millions of birds being culled, which led to severe supply disruptions that affected both producers and consumers.

The vaccine being used—targeting the H5 strain of the virus—is already approved for use in other countries implementing vaccination strategies against HPAI.

For enquiries, please contact: 
Mr Dipepeneneng Serage
Deputy Director-General: Agricultural Production, Biosecurity and Natural Resources Management
Cell: 060 551 5686

MS Joylene Van Wyk
Ministry Media Liaison Officer and Spokesperson
Cell: 083 292 7399 
E-mail: JoyleneV@nda.gov.za