WOAH issues field guidelines for African swine fever vaccination
New framework covers trial design, monitoring and benefit-risk assessment
1 July 2026
1 minute read
By: The World Organisation for Animal Health has published new guidelines to support evidence-based use of African swine fever vaccines, providing practical guidance for veterinary services and competent authorities on field evaluation and post-vaccination monitoring.
Developed with experts from The Pirbright Institute and the Centre for Applied One Health Research and Policy Advice at City University of Hong Kong, the guidelines cover the design and implementation of field studies, benefit-risk assessment ahead of national or regional vaccination programmes, and systematic tracking of vaccine effectiveness under real-world conditions.
WOAH said only high-quality vaccines manufactured to international standards should be used, and that vaccination decisions must be grounded in reliable evidence and adapted to local epidemiological conditions. Practical tools including sample size calculators and recording form templates are included to help users apply the guidance directly in the field.
The guidelines also address pharmacovigilance to detect side effects or adverse events, and include a three-step framework to help countries establish and sustain monitoring systems. Genomic surveillance, including whole genome sequencing where feasible, is recommended to detect potential reversion to virulence or recombination events over time.
WOAH emphasised that vaccination is not a standalone solution and must be integrated into broader ASF prevention and control strategies alongside biosecurity, surveillance and movement controls.
Countries with sufficient resources are encouraged to conduct their own field trials, while others can draw on data from countries with comparable production systems, with WOAH facilitating connections to relevant reference laboratories. The organisation highlighted the importance of transparency and data sharing across borders, noting that ASF is a transboundary disease and evidence generated through field trials should not be kept in silos.
