Foot and mouth disease can be caused by seven distinct viral serotypes, which do not confer cross-immunity, in addition, multiple subtypes have been identified within some of these serotypes. Therefore, vaccines used in an emergency must be serotype-specific and in certain cases subtype-specific.  

Therefore, when faced with an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, the serotype and subtype involved must be identified so that, in the event that emergency vaccination is used, the vaccine that produces protection in animals can be verified. The vaccine must then be produced, distributed and administered to animals to help contain the outbreak. In particular, once the vaccine strain that produces immunity has been identified, a laboratory that has the vaccine strain must be used to produce the vaccine in a short period of time in the quantity that the country requires to control the outbreak. This entire process takes time.

Free countries have solved this problem by creating reserve banks of antigens and vaccines.

A vaccine antigen bank is a strategic reserve of frozen viral antigen concentrate of specific viral serotypes that a laboratory can rapidly formulate into a vaccine in the event of a disease outbreak.
The terms "vaccine bank" and "antigen bank" are often used interchangeably. However, the antigen for a foot-and-mouth disease vaccine is the inactivated virus that is kept frozen and formulated into a vaccine only when needed.

Research has shown that viral antigens can be inactivated, concentrated and stored at low temperatures for extended periods with minimal or no loss of immunogenicity created the basis for the establishment of Antigen Banks, which can be rapidly reconstituted and formulated into potent FMD vaccines within 4–14 days.

Ready-to-use FMD vaccines have a short shelf life, whereas frozen antigen concentrate can be stored for many years. It is neither efficient nor cost-effective to preventively formulate and store vaccines that may not be used, especially since it is impossible to predict which viral strains may emerge.

Antigen banks provide flexibility to formulate targeted vaccines for any specific FMD strain in any specific outbreak.

The first national antigen bank against foot and mouth disease was established by Denmark in 1976.

In 1982, the North American Vaccine Bank (NAVB) was established with the participation of the United States, Mexico and Canada.

In 1985 the International Vaccine Bank (IVB) was established in Pirbright, Surrey, to support the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Finland, Ireland, Norway and Sweden during foot- and- mouth disease emergencies. The IVB operates as a non-commercial, intergovernmental entity combining antigen conservation with the capacity to formulate and test vaccines. Member countries pay an annual subscription to cover maintenance costs, which includes the acquisition of new antigens and the replacement of those withdrawn.

The European Union Vaccine Bank (EUVB) was established in 1991 to serve its member states. It holds the equivalent of 500 to one million doses of various vaccine strains stored, at two national institutes located in two different countries.

These three banks are known to maintain reserves of antigens for all serotypes; however, for reasons of national security, the details of the stored reserves were not published. In addition to these international banks, according to data published in Europe, 13 countries maintain additional antigen reserves.

In South America, where all countries are free of foot-and-mouth disease with or without vaccination, except for Venezuela, there is only one antigen bank, located in Argentina and established 1999. This bank holds reserves of the viral serotypes that have been endemic in the region, as well as some extra-regional serotypes. However, this private antigen bank was created only to control an outbreak in Argentine territory.

In summary, the foot-and-mouth disease-free countries on the continent, with the exception of Argentina, the United States and Canada, do not have reserves of foot-and-mouth disease antigens that would enable them to formulate vaccines for emergency vaccination in response to any serotype of the foot-and-mouth disease virus.

BANVACO is not a new physical facility or a legal entity. Its management is based at PANAFTOSA/SPV-PAHO/WHO headquarters, while member countries’ antigen and vaccine stocks are stored at regional vaccine suppliers’ facilities under specific contracts

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), through PANAFTOSA/SPV, was chosen for its supranational status, neutrality, extensive FMD expertise, and proven ability to procure, maintain, and distribute antigens and vaccines in both human and animal health contexts.

For over 40 years, PAHO’s Revolving Fund for Vaccine Access has provided safe, high-quality vaccines at affordable prices to member states and territories. By consolidating demand, leveraging economies of scale, negotiating transparently with suppliers, and implementing innovative procurement strategies, the Fund has reduced costs and improved sustainability for national immunization programs.

Through this system, 41 countries in the Americas access safe, high-quality human vaccines at prices up to 75% lower than if purchased individually.

All PAHO countries members can join BANVACO, sharing the bank’s fixed administrative costs. The more countries join, the lower the fixed cost for each. The BANVACO Governing Board, composed of a delegate from each member country, determines the percentage of the annual budget that corresponds to each member country. Initially, the fixed costs were calculated at USD 25,000 per member country for the first year, with the possibility of reducing this amount as additional countries join and upon approval of the annual work plans.

Variable costs depend on the stock of antigens each country decides to maintain, based on its own needs for emergency vaccine production.

Pooling antigen acquisition and storage at an international level allows economies of scale, operational synergies, and better global and regional coordination for FMD emergency preparedness.

Absolutly not.

FMD-free countries with vaccination should also join BANVACO, since the goal is to maintain antigen reserves for all viral serotypes that could threaten the continent, for use in emergency vaccination during an outbreak.

In fact, the first two signatories—Paraguay (2021) and Ecuador (2023)—are both countries that systematically vaccinate their animals.

Yes. There is no restriction. In fact, many FMD-free countries in North America and Europe have their own reserves in addition to regional bank membership.

Membership in a regional bank is strategically important because FMD prevention must be addressed from a regional perspective.

Not necessarily  

Emergency vaccination can be implemented to protect healthy animals from spreading the virus outside the containment area, including in international border regions, in the event of foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks in neighbouring countries.