A total of 1.5 million doses of foot-and-mouth disease vaccine have arrived in South Africa. (Photo: Dunevax)
Dunevax Biotech, the biotechnology company that imported the 1.5 million Dollvet vaccine doses against foot-and-mouth disease, says the product is already at Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP), but that the government has not yet paid it for it.
According to the company, the delivery is part of South Africa’s national response to the ongoing foot-and-mouth disease crisis and is considered an important milestone in the country’s vaccination program.
The vaccine doses, developed against all three foot-and-mouth disease strains, were received by OBP under strictly controlled conditions.
Dunevax says a further six million doses are expected in the country in March as part of the government’s vaccination plan.
Dr. David Gerber, CEO of Dunevax, confirmed that the government has not yet paid for the shipment of Dollvet vaccine.
“The vaccine was delivered based on verbal undertakings from government officials, but payment has not yet been received,” says Gerber.
He says his decision to continue with the delivery was made in good faith and in accordance with Dunevax’s ethical standards and its commitment to protect South Africa’s livestock.
When asked by the department on Tuesday about the transaction and where the vaccine doses are currently, Joylene van Wyk, spokeswoman for the Minister of Agriculture, said “we are waiting for the local agent (Dunevax) to deliver them to OBP. After that, the verification processes, stock count and temperature assurance tests can be done”.
“Once these processes have been completed, full payment will be made in settlement. This is the process as prescribed by the Public Financial Management Act which is binding on government departments,” Van Wyk said earlier this week.