WOAH: Global ASF vaccine standard adopted

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) has formalised the criteria for African Swine Fever (ASF) vaccines. That reinforces the momentum on global coordination.

At its headquarters in Paris, the organisation confirmed the pending adoption of the first international standard for evaluating ASF vaccines – an effort aimed at giving national authorities a clear, science-based framework in which to assess future candidates.

“We have the first ever international standard on ASF,” said Gregorio Torres, head of WOAH’s science department, speaking at a press conference at its headquarters. “That’s probably the critical element that global and national regulatory authorities need – a framework that is science-based and agreed by consensus.”

At the press event, Torres predicted the framework would be finalised days later – and it was. During its 92nd general session, WOAH members officially adopted the new standard, marking a historic milestone in global ASF response. The standard outlines minimum scientific and safety requirements for vaccines and is intended to help regulators assess field-readiness. It also aims to prevent the use of substandard products that could worsen disease spread or promote viral recombination.

According to The State of the World’s Animal Health 2025 report, the first report of its kind, ASF accounted for nearly a third of all outbreak notifications received by WOAH in 2023. The virus is often fatal and spreads easily through direct contact and contaminated materials.

New figures released by WOAH confirm that the disease continues to expand. In 2024 alone, ASF outbreaks were reported in more than 50 countries, with particularly high incidence in Asia, Europe and parts of the Caribbean. The Dominican Republic, for instance, reported more than 90,000 pig deaths in the span of a year. From January 2022 to February 2025, global pig losses exceeded 2 million.

In many regions, pigs are a cornerstone of household income and national food security – especially where pork comprises a large share of dietary protein. According to WOAH, pork accounts for 31% of global protein intake, making ASF not just an animal health crisis but a threat to food systems and rural livelihoods.

“The virus doesn’t respect borders,” Torres said. “That’s why we need coordination at the global level, particularly around how we evaluate and eventually approve vaccines.”

Until now, the lack of international consensus on vaccine evaluation made it difficult for countries to approve or deploy ASF vaccines – even where experimental or early-stage candidates existed. With the standard now formally adopted, national authorities have a new benchmark to guide regulation, field trials and eventual deployment.

“What we need is a framework for validation,” Torres explained. “We need to define the minimum standards that will ensure whatever we put in the animal is going to be safe. What we don’t want is to cause more damage than the disease itself.”

While the standard offers clarity, it does not replace the need for national decision-making. The use of vaccines must still be considered in light of each country’s epidemiological context, infrastructure and veterinary capacity. WOAH stresses that vaccines should be viewed as complementary tools, not standalone solutions. Biosecurity, animal movement control and surveillance remain essential components of any ASF control strategy.

WOAH deputy director general Monserrat Arroyo underlined the importance of planning. “Unless a vaccination campaign is thoroughly planned, it might not be successful,” she said in a one-on-one interview. “We try to train countries to build that capacity – to do a cost-benefit analysis, to assess whether they have the infrastructure.” The road to ASF vaccine deployment is still long, but the adoption of the standard marks a critical inflection point. After years of scientific effort and regulatory hesitation, countries now have a shared foundation for moving forward.

Tags: vaccines, World Organisation for Animal Health, pork, African Swine Fever, Pigs, outbreaks, standards