The nebraska department of agriculture will validate their foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine plan by conducting a vaccine planning logistics workshop, a vaccination incident action plan drill, a…

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture received a Cooperative Agreement award of $176,528 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025) to validate and improve the state's foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine response capabilities. The award, effective August 20, 2025 through August 19, 2027, funds a series of coordinated preparedness activities including a vaccine planning logistics workshop, vaccination incident action plan drill, throughput exercise, and vaccination management drill, culminating in a full-scale exercise designed to test the state's readiness to deploy vaccines during an FMD outbreak.

The project directly supports Nebraska's cattle, swine, and sheep industries and state animal health officials by enhancing operational preparedness for catastrophic foreign animal disease outbreaks. Through completion of the drills and exercises, Nebraska will generate empirical data and operational insights to update and refine its FMD response plan, ultimately strengthening the state's capacity to protect livestock producers' livelihoods and the safety of the food supply in the event of a disease emergency.

The nebraska department of agriculture will validate their foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccine plan by conducting a vaccine planning logistics workshop, a vaccination incident action plan drill, a throughput exercise, and a vaccination management drill. These act ivities will culminate in a full-scale exercise. The drills and exercises will help nebraska cattle, swine, and sheep producers better prepare for using vaccine to prevent or control an FMD outbreak in their state. The state will use the information gained from these exercises to update and improve their FMD response plan. This project prepares nebraska cattle, swine, and sheep owners and state animal health officials for a catastrophic foreign animal disease (FAD) outbreak, such as an FMD outbreak. The project will ensure a safe food supply and protect the livelihoods and economic opportunities of nebraska's farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.