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Farmers start mass vaccination of cattle
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| SAVING GRACE? The bluetongue vaccine BTV8 being given to cows on Hill Farm, Lytchett Minster |
FARMERS operating inside Dorset's bluetongue protection zone have started vaccinating livestock, following the outbreak of the disease at Upton three months ago.
Government officials have released four million vaccine doses since the end of April, and eight million more are on order for farms across England.
Dorset livestock owners are being encouraged to vaccinate their stock to minimise the risk of further outbreaks.
Since the county's first positive test at French's Farm sent shockwaves through the farming community, there have been 70-confirmed cases.
But some farmers accused Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs officials of dragging their heels.
David House, tenant farmer at French's Farm, told the Echo: "The government has known bluetongue was going to come over here from Europe for about five years, so why wasn't anything done?
"A lot more could have been done a lot earlier."
Since Monday, DEFRA-imposed protection zones, which restrict movement of infection-prone cattle, have been extended and merged to coincide with the delivery of vaccinations.
The zone now covers huge swathes of Dorset, Hampshire, West Sussex, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Lincolnshire.
Cattle need double doses of the vaccine spread over three weeks, after which farmers must wait 60 days - the maximum lifespan of the virus - until they can start trading again. Sheep only need a single dose of BTV8 to be protected.
Environment Secretary Hilary Benn said: "The success of our control and vaccination strategy will ultimately depend on the industry itself. The message to animal keepers is clear: Don't hesitate, vaccinate."
7:00pm Thursday 15th May 2008
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CommentPosted by: Alan Gilbert, Bearwood on 10:20pm Thu 15 May 08
And while they're at it why not vaccinate against bovine TB as well !
It'll be a lot more effective than gassing thousands of badgers who probably caught it from infected cattle in the first place.
And while they're at it why not vaccinate against bovine TB as well !
It'll be a lot more effective than gassing thousands of badgers who probably caught it from infected cattle in the first place.
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