European Commission to Send Vaccines and Experts to Cyprus Over FMD Outbreak

A meeting was held in Brussels between Cyprus's Minister of Agriculture, Maria Panayiotou, and European Commissioner for Health, Olivér Várhelyi. The primary topic was the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak and measures for its rapid containment.

According to Várhelyi, the priority is the swift limitation of the epidemic and support for farmers. Starting today, the European Commission will assist in the delivery of the first vaccine doses. Cyprus will also receive support using all available EU tools, including financing and compensation mechanisms.

Starting tomorrow, a group of European veterinary experts from EUVET will arrive on the island. Their mission will focus on the government-controlled areas of the Republic of Cyprus. Following their work, the specialists will present recommendations regarding information exchange, animal movement, vaccination, and measures to eliminate infection hotspots.

The European Commission noted that it is premature to evaluate the effectiveness of previously delivered vaccines, as not enough time has passed.