[Focus] The Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has issued the 2021 Hebei Province Major Animal Disease Immunization Plan.

(1) Types of immune diseases Mandatory immunization will be implemented for highly pathogenic avian influenza, foot-and-mouth disease, peste des petits ruminants, and brucellosis; comprehensive vaccination programs will be carried out for swine fever, highly pathogenic porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, Newcastle disease in poultry, and rabies—though local areas may opt for mandatory immunization based on their specific circumstances. Additionally, guidance will be provided to implement targeted vaccination strategies in endemic regions for diseases such as anthrax, transmissible gastroenteritis, Japanese encephalitis B in pigs, and echinococcosis.

(II) Immunity Requirements The herd immunity density for compulsory immunization diseases should be maintained above 90% year-round, with immunization coverage among livestock and poultry reaching 100%. Meanwhile, the annual合格 rate of immune antibodies against highly pathogenic avian influenza, foot-and-mouth disease, and peste des petits ruminants should remain above 70%.

(3) Immune animal species and regions

1. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza: All domestically raised poultry in the province— including chickens, ducks, geese, quails, and pigeons—must receive vaccinations against H5- and H7-subtype highly pathogenic avian influenza. However, for poultry used for research or vaccine production, as well as imported poultry from countries/regions where high-pathogenicity avian influenza vaccination is explicitly prohibited, and for other special cases where vaccination is not required, farm operators must submit an application to the county-level Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in their area. Approval will be granted only after the request is reviewed and approved step-by-step by the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs. 2. Foot-and-Mouth Disease: All cattle, sheep, camels, and deer across the province must be immunized against both Type O and Type A foot-and-mouth disease. 3. Peste des Petits Ruminants: All sheep in the province are required to receive vaccination against this disease. 4. Brucellosis: Breeding animals are excluded from vaccination. For non-breeding cattle and sheep, brucellosis vaccination is mandatory, with the S2 vaccine being the sole recommended option. Adult dairy cows are generally exempt from vaccination; however, if approved by the county-level Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and subsequently reported to the provincial department for record-keeping, vaccination may proceed. Additionally, calves aged 3 to 8 months should be immunized using the Brucella A19 vaccine—unless the farm is already engaged in brucellosis eradication efforts. Farm operators are responsible for accurately recording details such as the type of livestock vaccinated, current herd size, number of animals immunized, and specific vaccination timelines. These records will then be compiled by the county-level animal disease prevention and control agencies and submitted sequentially up the chain to the provincial Animal Disease Prevention and Control Center. Meanwhile, immunization against swine fever and highly pathogenic porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) will continue according to national prevention and control guidelines. Each city may also expand the scope of mandatory vaccinations to include additional diseases or regions, based on the local prevalence of animal diseases.

The nationally approved vaccines for highly pathogenic avian influenza, foot-and-mouth disease, peste des petits ruminants, and brucellosis are listed in the attachment. Large-scale farms are encouraged to procure their own high-quality immunization vaccines and implement mandatory vaccination using the "vaccinate first, reimburse later" approach. For vaccine manufacturers and detailed product information, please refer to the National Veterinary Drug Database (www.ivdc.gov.cn). Meanwhile, other farms should use animal vaccines for mandatory immunization that have been uniformly procured through provincial-level bidding processes.

Units and individuals raising animals (farm operators) are the primary entities responsible for mandatory immunization, as stipulated by the Animal Epidemic Prevention Law. They must earnestly fulfill their legal obligations by independently carrying out vaccination programs, maintaining accurate immunization records, establishing comprehensive immunization files, and willingly submitting to inspection and supervision by the agriculture and rural affairs authorities.

According to relevant documents issued by the State Council, city and county governments bear overall responsibility for animal disease prevention and control within their jurisdictions. They are tasked with organizing relevant departments to implement the mandatory immunization program according to their respective duties and responsibilities. At all levels, agricultural and rural affairs departments are responsible for the detailed implementation of the mandatory immunization plan, overseeing the allocation, storage, and proper use of vaccines. Meanwhile, animal disease prevention and control agencies at each level play a critical role in managing vaccine distribution, storage, usage, and administration, as well as conducting rigorous evaluations of the effectiveness of the immunization process. Institutions tasked with animal health supervision at various levels are responsible for monitoring and inspecting farm operators to ensure compliance with mandatory immunization requirements. The Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, in collaboration with the Provincial Department of Finance, will coordinate the procurement of mandatory immunization vaccines and manage the disbursement of funds under the "vaccinate first, reimburse later" policy. Meanwhile, local agricultural and rural affairs departments must work closely with their counterparts in the finance sector to guarantee that funding for mandatory immunization subsidies is effectively allocated and put into practice. Other relevant departments are also required to cooperate fully with these efforts, ensuring the smooth implementation of the mandatory immunization program in accordance with the law.

(1) Develop an implementation plan. Local areas should, in accordance with the requirements of this plan and tailored to their specific disease prevention and control situations, promptly develop implementation plans for mandatory immunization programs within their jurisdictions. Large-scale farms and regions with suitable conditions are encouraged to adopt scheduled immunization programs, while free-range livestock and poultry will follow a strategy combining concentrated immunization campaigns in spring and autumn with regular booster shots throughout the year. The last week of each month will serve as the province-wide集中补免周 (centralized booster immunization week). Meanwhile, the Provincial Animal Disease Prevention and Control Center is tasked with formulating the "2021 Hebei Province Key Animal Disease Immunization Technical Plan," while also strengthening technical training and guidance efforts.

(II) Promote the "Strike First, Compensate Later" Approach Each city should formulate its own implementation plan based on the "Hebei Province Animal Disease Mandatory Immunization Subsidy Policy Mechanism Reform Implementation Plan" issued by the provincial department, while also considering local conditions. Accelerate the rollout of the "vaccinate first, reimburse later" approach, aiming to achieve full coverage of livestock and poultry farming counties by year-end, encompassing all dairy farms, and ensuring that municipal-level coverage includes every mandatory immunization disease targeted for animals in the region. Starting in 2021, no longer will dairy farms receive free access to government-purchased mandatory immunization vaccines. Please submit your cities' implementation plans to the provincial department for record-keeping by March 10, 2021.

(III) Strengthen Technical Training Before the concentrated immunization campaigns in spring and autumn, agricultural and rural departments at all levels should organize immunization technology training, with a particular focus on equipping township- and village-level veterinary staff with the necessary skills. Additionally, vaccine and diagnostic reagent suppliers should be urged to provide comprehensive training and technical support services.

(IV) Establish a Comprehensive Immunization Record Township animal health stations, village-level vaccinators, livestock farms (and their owners), and socially engaged veterinary service organizations must maintain accurate immunization records, ensuring that these records match the identification tags of livestock and poultry. Township animal health stations should establish immunization files for free-ranging farmers on a village-by-village basis, while also supervising and guiding farms to set up comprehensive and well-documented immunization records. These records should meticulously document details such as the number of animals raised, sold, or vaccinated—including specific vaccine types, manufacturer names, and production batch numbers.

(5) Standardize vaccine management. All regions must strengthen the management of each stage of mandatory immunization vaccines, in accordance with the established funding management model. Provincial, municipal, and county-level animal disease prevention and control institutions, along with township-level animal health stations, should establish robust vaccine supply management systems, refine and implement vaccine usage ledger practices, and adopt a fully digitized, end-to-end management approach spanning provincial, municipal, county, and township levels—complete with dedicated personnel, accounts, and records. Additionally, it’s crucial to enhance vaccine transportation and storage protocols, ensuring cold-chain logistics are maintained throughout the entire process. Special attention should be given to reinforcing the last-mile cold-chain infrastructure at the village and township levels, guaranteeing that vaccine quality remains intact. Meanwhile, municipal and county agricultural and rural affairs departments must organize efforts to properly collect and safely dispose of discarded vaccine containers. A comprehensive system for managing vaccine waste and hazardous container disposal should be put in place, with particular emphasis on promptly disinfecting and inactivating empty vials of live Brucellosis vaccines, as well as used immunization equipment. This will prevent vaccine wastage and eliminate any potential biosecurity risks. Finally, all units and individuals are strictly prohibited from reselling or trading government-purchased and distributed mandatory immunization vaccines.

(6) Strengthen Information Reporting A monthly reporting system is implemented for vaccine allocation, immunization coverage, and antibody monitoring. During the concentrated immunization periods in spring and autumn, a weekly reporting system is adopted to track immunization progress. In the event of a sudden, major animal disease outbreak, an urgent daily reporting system is put in place for emergency immunization activities. Animal disease prevention and control agencies at all levels must assign dedicated personnel to oversee the collection, compilation, verification, and submission of information—reporting it promptly and sequentially up the chain of command, starting from the provincial animal disease prevention and control center. Any issues identified during the immunization process should be reported immediately. Meanwhile, the provincial animal disease prevention and control center is responsible for submitting relevant updates to the China Animal Disease Prevention and Control Center on a timely basis.

(7) Assessing Immune Efficacy Animal disease prevention and control agencies at all levels should conduct mandatory immunization effectiveness monitoring and evaluation at the implementation stage. If the antibody qualification rate among livestock and poultry populations fails to meet the standards, they must promptly notify the township-level animal health stations within their jurisdiction to organize farms and farmers to carry out supplementary vaccinations. For farms (or farmers) adopting the "vaccinate first, reimburse later" approach for mandatory immunization, random checks on immunization effectiveness should be conducted to ensure optimal results. Meanwhile, agricultural and rural departments across regions are encouraged to strengthen surveys on user satisfaction with the use of strong-immunity vaccines, promptly gathering feedback on farmers' satisfaction levels. After each spring and autumn vaccination campaign, progress reports should be submitted step-by-step up the administrative hierarchy to the provincial authorities, with critical updates reported immediately as needed. In cases where adverse immune reactions, substandard immune antibody levels, or immunization failures occur, thorough investigations and timely corrective actions must be taken.

(1) Strengthen and Enforce Accountability Local governments must establish a responsibility system for animal disease prevention, under which local authorities assume overall accountability, producers bear primary responsibility, and relevant departments share specific duties. Any farming entities or individuals who refuse to fulfill mandatory immunization obligations—and whose failure to do so leads to animal outbreaks—will be dealt with according to the law, with accountability extended to the respective units and individuals involved.

(II) Strengthen Departmental Oversight All regions must strengthen supervision and inspection of mandatory immunization practices for livestock and poultry. Enhance regulatory oversight of animal movement: When issuing quarantine certificates, animal health supervision agencies must rigorously verify, according to relevant guidelines, the immune antibody levels, immunization records, and proper wearing of identification tags for animals being transported. For breeding eggs or young livestock and poultry that have not yet reached the age for their first vaccination, the certificate must clearly indicate the immunization status of their parent stock. Certificates should not be issued for animals that remain unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is unclear. Additionally, intensify oversight of units distributing mandatory immunization vaccines, ensuring they are equipped with adequate refrigeration and cold-storage facilities that meet vaccine storage standards. Establish robust record-keeping systems to guarantee proper vaccine storage and maintain the cold chain during transportation. Strengthen vaccine tracking and comprehensive quality control throughout the entire process, while firmly cracking down on the production and sale of counterfeit or substandard vaccines—especially actions involving the manufacture, distribution, and use of "home-made" vaccines.

(III) Strict Financial Management The municipal and county departments of agriculture and rural affairs are strengthening oversight of fund usage to ensure that mandatory immunization subsidies are used exclusively for their intended purpose and managed in a standardized manner. Each city should collaborate with its corresponding finance department to enhance supervision and management of vaccine procurement at the municipal level, establish and improve a robust vaccine procurement system, refine internal control mechanisms, and strictly regulate all vaccine procurement activities.

(IV) Strengthen Supervision and Inspection The provincial department has included mandatory immunization against major animal diseases within its comprehensive supervision framework, conducting unannounced inspections and coordination efforts on an irregular basis. Following the spring and autumn prevention campaigns, the department will organize province-wide evaluations of immunization effectiveness and promptly release the results. Meanwhile, all localities are urged to step up their supervisory efforts to ensure that mandatory immunization measures are fully implemented, effectively building a robust immune barrier across the region.

Attachment: List of Vaccines Approved for National Use