Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) - Forward plans

The coordination of Canada's Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) planning, preparedness and readiness for response sits with Animal Health Canada.

On October 7 and 8, 2024, just prior to the AHC Forum event in Ottawa, the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Vaccine Strategy working group will meet to discuss the work to date on the Vaccine Implementation Support Structure (VISS). The VISS will contain protocols and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) necessary for the implementation of CFIA’s vaccination policy and strategies. It will be built to be leveraged as a foundation for use in other disease vaccination situations, if necessary. The livestock commodities have each been developing SOPs specific to their operational realities and are working diligently in the weeks leading up to October 7th to draft additional overarching SOPs.

On Monday November 25, we’ll plan to broaden the participation beyond the Vaccine Strategy Working Group members to run a small-scale exercise to test the components of the FMD Integrated Emergency Response Plan (IERP). Work is now underway on several additional key elements of the IERP in addition to those activities related to vaccination. As a result, the session in November will focus on clarifying, refining and further defining roles and responsibilities for Federal, Provincial and Territorial Governments and Industry Partners (FPTI) in the event of a foreign animal disease outbreak. Learnings from the event will help to further refine the IERP for a second small-scale exercise February 2025, (date to be confirmed). This subsequent exercise will further broaden stakeholder engagement.

For more information on the FMD work taking place under Animal Health Canada's division, click here.