More than 65,000 animals receive immunisation shots

Nizwa: As part of its efforts to protect farm animals and livestock from diseases, more than 65,000 animals were immunised by Oman’s Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Wealth.
The programme was part of the National Immunisation Project, with the Ministry saying in a statement, “The Agricultural Development Department in Nizwa managed to vaccinate 67,711 heads of livestock last year in the various villages of Nizwa, within the framework of the livestock immunisation programme under the National Livestock Immunisation Project.”
“The programme took 81 days of hard work, having begun on September 2 and ended on December 31, 2019,” added the Ministry. “The immunisation programme included the provision of two vaccination doses. The first dose targeted flocks of goats and sheep against diseases such as smallpox, PPR (ovine rinderpest) and anaerobic infection. The second dose was against foot-and-mouth disease in cows, in addition to goats and sheep. 1,088 cows and 19,854 goats and sheep were vaccinated.”
The vaccinations were administered to livestock owned by 585 livestock breeders in the various villages of the Dakhiliyah governorate, the capital of which is Nizwa.
Commenting on the need to vaccinate animals and keep them healthy, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Wealth said, “This project is implemented annually to protect animals from infectious diseases and epidemics that may affect them, in the event that vaccines against these diseases are not taken, as they are usually contagious and deadly diseases that are difficult to control if they spread.”
“The livestock breeders have become aware of the seriousness of these diseases,” added the Ministry. “Therefore you find them cooperating with the vaccination teams, and the Ministry hopes for continuity and increased cooperation to make the project succeed and achieve the desired goals.”