JOHANNESBURG, July 3 (Xinhua) -- South Africa has commenced its first-ever poultry vaccination campaign, a move expected to play a key role in minimizing the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks.

Speaking to Xinhua on Thursday, Dipepeneneng Serage, deputy director-general of the Department of Agriculture, said the rollout had already begun at one farm and would be extended to others in the coming days.

"We just approved one vaccination for the first time. We are still finalizing details for others. So, how it happens is firms apply, a prescription is issued, and only then vaccination starts and other farms will follow," explained Serage.

He said the department was finalizing the details for a mass rollout, which would happen in "a week or so."

The vaccination drive follows the Department of Agriculture's recent approval of a vaccination permit issued to Astral Foods Limited, South Africa's leading poultry producer. The permit allows the company to vaccinate poultry against the HPAI virus at one of its broiler breeder farms.

According to the department, the vaccination at the farm is starting with 200,000 broiler breeders, representing five percent of the company's breeding stock.

Minister of Agriculture John Steenhuisen on Tuesday welcomed the first-ever vaccination campaign, saying it would play a significant role in preventing the effects of bird flu on the poultry industry in the country.

During one of the worst bird flu outbreaks in South Africa in 2023, millions of poultry birds were culled, resulting in a nationwide shortage of chickens and eggs in the country. ■