Ten thousand doses of foot-and-mouth vaccine will be delivered to Republic of Cyprus authorities on Wednesday, as the Turkish Cypriot side acts to combat recent outbreaks of the disease.
- Ten thousand doses of foot-and-mouth vaccine will be delivered to Republic of Cyprus authorities on Wednesday, as the Turkish Cypriot side acts to combat recent outbreaks of the disease.
- To further address the situation, measures at crossing points have been intensified, reflecting the urgent need to manage the outbreak effectively.
Leonidas Fylaktou, Greek Cypriot co-chair of the bicommunal Technical Committee on Health, confirmed that these vaccines are part of a larger shipment from the European Commission aimed at addressing cases detected in the occupied areas over recent months.
The Republic of Cyprus had initially requested 20,000 doses to manage the situation effectively. As part of this agreement, the first batch of 10,000 will be handed over today, with the remaining doses expected to arrive next week.
In mid-February, the European Commission had already provided 500,000 doses to the competent authority of the Republic of Cyprus. This was intended to support vaccination efforts in regions where the government does not maintain effective control.
On the other side, Turkish Cypriot “agriculture minister” Huseyin Cavus highlighted the significance of this vaccine shipment, mentioning that cases of foot-and-mouth disease had been reported in the occupied areas since December 2025. Cavus claimed he had attempted to alert Cypriot authorities on multiple occasions regarding the severity of the situation, which he believes has not been adequately acknowledged.
A large proportion of the affected animals are goats and sheep, which are known carriers of the virus and contribute to its rapid spread. Cavus noted that while the specific strain of the virus has been identified, there is a possibility of other subtypes being present, especially considering the recorded cases of animal deaths.
To further address the situation, measures at crossing points have been intensified, reflecting the urgent need to manage the outbreak effectively.
