Obeying Jokowi's Instructions To Eradicate PMK, Babel Provincial Government Asks For Supply Of 15 Thousand Antidote Vaccines

Veterinarians prepare to give vaccine injections to cattle with indications of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Aceh Besar in May 2022. (Antara-Ampelsa)

BABEL - The Provincial Government (Pemrov) of the Bangka Belitung Islands requires 15 thousand doses of oral and nail disease (FMD) vaccine to accelerate vaccination in overcoming the transmission and spread of FMD to livestock.

"Alhamdulillah, currently PMK can still be overcome. However, we still need the assistance of 15 thousand vaccines to overcome the transmission of the virus," said Acting Governor of the Babel Islands Ridwan Djamaluddin in Pangkalpinang, Thursday, June 23.

He said the need for 15 thousand doses of PMK vaccine was also to follow up on President Joko Widodo (Jokowi)'s order to instruct local governments to accelerate PMK vaccination for cattle, buffalo and goats.

"Currently, the acceleration of PMK vaccination is still constrained by vaccine stocks and we are still waiting for vaccine supplies from the central government," he said.

According to him, the acceleration of PMK vaccination has been conveyed by Coordinating Minister for the Economy Airlangga Hartarto and Minister of Agriculture Syahrul Yasin Limpo through a coordination meeting for handling PMK.

"In this coordination meeting, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy asked local governments at the provincial and district/city levels to immediately accelerate the handling of this deadly disease down to the village level," he said.

Head of Livestock and Health Division of the Agriculture and Food Security Service (DPKP) Babel Judnaidy said the vaccination plan for livestock is still waiting for a delivery from the central government.

"Currently we are still waiting for the supply of vaccines and if this vaccine is available then we will immediately vaccinate livestock to all livestock in this area," he said.