South Africa will soon embark on its first-ever vaccination of poultry as a proactive measure to minimise the risk of bird flu outbreaks, agriculture minister John Steenhuisen said on Tuesday.

This follows the department of agriculture’s issuance of a vaccination permit to Astral Foods on Monday, authorising the company to begin vaccinating against the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus at one of its broiler breeder farms.

The department said the vaccination campaign will begin with 200,000 broiler breeders, representing about 5% of Astral’s total breeding stock, valued at an estimated R35m.

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.

The vaccination campaign was a vital step to strengthen flock immunity and prevent the devastating economic losses witnessed during previous outbreaks, Steenhuisen said.

The 2023 outbreak resulted in millions of birds being culled, which led to severe supply disruptions that affected both producers and consumers.

He said the vaccine being used, targeting the H5 strain of the virus, was already approved for use in other countries implementing vaccination strategies against HPAI.

TimesLIVE