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USDA announces initial FMD vaccine purchase

The USDA announced its initial vaccine purchase for the FMD vaccine bank on Wednesday. 

The National Pork Producers Council and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association welcomed the announcement.  NPPC called announcement momentous and says it provides a solution for FMD preparedness should an outbreak occur.  NCBA says the announcement is a promising first step, but more action is needed to strengthen the newly created vaccine bank. 

Boehringer Ingelheim has been awarded the contract to create and maintain a strategic reserve of frozen vaccine antigen concentrate that the company could quickly formulate into a vaccine for FMD should an outbreak occur.

The 2018 Farm Bill provided $150 million in mandatory funding over the next five years for the vaccine bank, the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, and the National Animal Disease Preparedness Program.