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National Animal Vaccine and

Veterinary Countermeasures Bank

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For decades, U.S. animal health officials, veterinarians, and livestock industries have

worried about a potential outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in the United States.

To address these longstanding concerns, Congress directed APHIS, through the 2018

Farm Bill, to establish the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures
Bank. 

Since 2019, APHIS has invested millions of dollars to amass a stockpile of foot-andmouth disease vaccine that dwarfs anything our Nation has had previously. This

U.S.-only vaccine supply is central to the United States’ ability to respond to, control,

and ultimately eliminate an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease on U.S. soil.

Today, the vaccine bank:

Serves as the U.S. stockpile of foot-and-mouth disease vaccine and veterinary

countermeasures

Supports critical U.S. response activities in case of a foot-and-mouth disease

outbreak

Augments vaccines and countermeasures available to the United States

through the North American Foot-and-Mouth Disease Vaccine Bank and the

National Veterinary Stockpile

Building the U.S. Stockpile of Foot-and-Mouth

Disease Vaccine and Countermeasures

As directed by Congress, our first priority is to ensure adequate supplies of vaccine

to respond to the most concerning strains of the foot-and-mouth disease virus. On

the advice of our technical committee that provides scientific recommendations and

oversees the vaccine bank, APHIS has invested approximately $42 million to

purchase foot-and-mouth disease vaccine antigen concentrate from private

companies, with another $30 million in planned purchases through fiscal year (FY)

2023. We have also purchased diagnostic kits that will enhance our ability to quickly

detect and respond to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease. This U.S.-only supply

augments the vaccine available to this country through the North American Footand-Mouth Disease Vaccine Bank.

Stockpiling Vaccine and Countermeasures for

Other High-Consequence Diseases
The 2018 Farm Bill authorizes APHIS to use funding set aside for the National Animal

Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank to accumulate vaccines and

countermeasures for other high-consequence diseases, such as highly pathogenic

avian influenza and African swine fever. In FY 2022, APHIS purchased classical swine

fever vaccine for the National Veterinary Stockpile.

Accessing Animal Vaccines and Veterinary

Countermeasures

Vaccination helps control the spread of infection by reducing the amount of virus

animals shed and reducing clinical signs of illness. While an outbreak would

temporarily disrupt international markets, vaccination would allow animals to move

through domestic production channels. APHIS will determine how and when to use

vaccines from the National Animal Vaccine and Veterinary Countermeasures Bank

based on the circumstances of the animal disease outbreak and in careful

coordination with affected animal industries. APHIS will leverage the National

Veterinary Stockpile infrastructure to distribute vaccines if they are needed.