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FMD disease emergency vaccination - question and answer brief

Following the FMD outbreak on 3 August 2007, and in line with our contingency plan, emergency vaccination was considered. Our decision not to vaccinate was based on the vaccination decision tree contained in our contingency plan, veterinary risk assessment and expert epidemiological advice that the risk of disease spread outside of the low density livestock area in the Surrey area was currently very low.

FMD vaccination policy issues
FMD vaccination operational issues

FMD vaccination policy issues

I. 2007 FMD outbreak

II. Future disease control policy

III. What has changed since 2001?

IV. Effectiveness of vaccination

V. Stakeholder issues

VI. Role of farmers

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I. 2007 FMD outbreak

Q1. Why did you stand down the Vaccination teams?

A. The Secretary of State decided - based on expert epidemiological and veterinary advice - that we should not vaccinate at this time. The Vaccination teams were not completely stood down until 1 October. Vaccination was not then considered to be a viable disease control option in the circumstances.

Q2. Does this mean that vaccination was not used in this outbreak?

A. We decided not to vaccinate as the epidemiological evidence suggested that the risk of the spread of infection out of the Restricted Zone was low. Our legislation places vaccination at the forefront of disease control policies and puts in place control measures to enable vaccination to take place.

The Government is committed to considering emergency vaccination as a disease control option from the start of any outbreak of FMD. There remains in place a vaccination contingency plan, which would enable vaccination to begin 5 days after disease is confirmed if it is felt necessary.

Q3. Why don’t you allow farmers to routinely vaccinate their animals, i.e. in advance of an outbreak?

There has been a ban on routine (prophylactic) vaccination across the EU since 1992 and this is stipulated in the EU FMD Directive. Such a ban allows EU Member States to maintain the highest FMD international trading status, i.e. countries free from FMD without vaccination, as ruled by the OIE (World Organisation for Animal Health). However, we are fully prepared to use emergency vaccination in the event of an outbreak if measures additional to the basic slaughter policy are required to control the disease.

Q4. What vaccination strategy would be used?

A. The Government’s clear preference, if emergency vaccination is used, is for protective vaccination (vaccination to live). Suppressive vaccination (to kill) might be considered where the number of animals to be culled is likely to exceed the immediately available disposal capacity. In those instances, animals in defined areas would be vaccinated first and slaughtered only as disposal capacity became available. It could also be used where there is an urgent need to reduce the amount of virus circulating in an area and reduce the risk of spread beyond that area.

Q5. Does the UK have to seek the EU's permission to vaccinate?

Yes. Under Article 50 of the EU FMD Directive the UK, or any part of it, is required to seek the permission of the European Commission to vaccinate through a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCOFCAH). However, there is an exemption to this requirement for emergency vaccination provided the Commission is informed first and the UK applies other requirements in the way it carries out vaccination. Such a decision is then reviewed by SCOFCAH. The Commission has given permission for other member states to vaccinate in the past and this requirement is essential to ensuring good co-ordination of animal disease control across the EU.

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II. Future disease control policy

Q6. In the event of a future outbreak of FMD, what would be the disease control policy?

A. As in 2001, the basic disease control policy in the event of a future outbreak would be the slaughter of susceptible animals on infected premises and those identified as dangerous contacts. This is the requirement of the EU FMD Directive 2003/85/EC. However, greater prominence would be given to the use of emergency vaccination if measures additional to the basic slaughter policy were required to control the disease.

Q7. In the event of a future outbreak of FMD, how would the Government determine its disease control strategy?

A. The Decision Tree forms part of the FMD Contingency Plan contained within Defra's Overview of Emergency Preparedness for Exotic Animal Diseases. This sets out the factors that the Government would take into account in deciding a disease control strategy. It also seeks to aid transparency about the future policy decision making process so that all those concerned will understand how the decisions were arrived at.

In addition to the Decision Tree, a Vaccination Protocol Adobe acrobat pdf file (62 KB) has been developed to clarify what factors need to be taken into consideration.

A Vaccination Scenarios Adobe acrobat pdf file (95 KB) document has also been published. This document illustrates, through the use of scenarios, the potential role for the possible use of emergency vaccination in tackling a future outbreak of FMD.

Q8. Why can’t the Government decide now how it would control a future FMD outbreak?

A. As circumstances can vary widely, it is not possible to prescribe a detailed response in advance of an outbreak. The decision to adopt a particular control strategy will depend on a wide range of factors as indicated in the Decision Tree, many of which cannot be determined until we have knowledge of the nature and extent of the outbreak. Veterinary and scientific advice and judgement remain vital in determining a disease control strategy.

Q9. Can the EU force a Member State to vaccinate?

A. The Directive places a duty on Member States to ensure they have arrangements in place for the possible use of necessary emergency vaccination in an area at least the size of the Vaccination Surveillance Zone (10km) as soon as the first case of FMD is confirmed. An EU Decision to introduce emergency vaccination may be made when outbreaks threaten to become widespread or when other Member States are at risk. This can be either at the request of the Member State at risk, or initiated by the Commission itself. The affected Member State would, of course, be consulted in the decision-making process.

Q10. How quickly would a decision to vaccinate be made?

A. Vaccination would be considered alongside other disease control measures from the start of an outbreak, but a decision would only be taken once the epidemiological and veterinary circumstances were known. Decisions would, of course, be made as quickly as possible given the particular set of circumstances and would be reviewed repeatedly as these changed and more information became available.

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Q11. How can stakeholders be sure that vaccination is properly considered by the Government as a disease control option in the event of a future outbreak?

A. There is a duty upon the Secretary of State, contained within the Animal Health Act, to consider the most appropriate means of preventing the spread of FMD, particularly considering the use of emergency vaccination. If measures additional to the slaughter of animals on infected premises and those identified as dangerous contacts are required, and the Secretary of State decides to use only preventive slaughter powers, he has to publish the reasons for doing so, including explaining why emergency vaccination is not being used.

Q12. What about the use of suppressive vaccination (to kill)?

A. Suppressive vaccination might be considered where the number of animals to be culled is likely to exceed the immediately available disposal capacity. In those instances, animals in defined areas would be vaccinated first and slaughtered only as disposal capacity became available. It could also be used where there is an urgent need to reduce the amount of virus circulating in an area and the risk of spread beyond that area.

Q13. Who would take the decision to vaccinate if there is a case of FMD on the English/ Scottish or English/ Welsh border?

A. In the event of a reported case of FMD in England but near to the Welsh or Scottish border, Devolved Administrations, supported by the UK FMD Expert Group, will have an important role in the decision making process on whether to vaccinate. Ultimately, the decision would belong to the Secretary of State in England and to the Devolved Administrations in Scotland and Wales. However, the Foot and Mouth Disease (Control of Vaccination) (England) Regulations 2006 (162 KB) provides for Vaccination Surveillance Zones to be declared across the border from a Vaccination Zone to ensure the process is fully joined up.

Q14. What arrangements are in place to test contingency plans for vaccination?

A. Vaccination plans have been tested in specific vaccination exercises as well as full mobilisation being tested as part of our normal contingency planning arrangements during FMD 2001 – in August and September. Vaccination new entrant and refresher training also takes place on an annual basis. Our Contingency Plans are also subject to regular testing.

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III. What has changed since 2001?

Q15. Was emergency vaccination considered as a disease control measure during the 2001 FMD outbreak?

A. During the 2001 outbreak, vaccination was considered on 10 occasions, but not adopted - scientific and veterinary advice was that we would eradicate the disease quickest and most effectively through culling and tight biosecurity. The Chief Veterinary Officer and Chief Scientific Adviser did recommend vaccination in North Cumbria to protect cattle before they were turned out from their winter sheds, providing such a policy was supported by a substantial proportion of farmers, vets, consumers and the wider food trade. Such support was not forthcoming. As the epidemic waned, the arguments for vaccination became less compelling.

Q16. So what has changed since 2001 with regard to the use of emergency vaccination?

A. The Royal Society’s Report on Infectious Diseases in Livestock and the Lessons Learned Inquiry Report, published in response to the 2001 outbreak, recommended that emergency vaccination should be considered as part of the control strategy from the start of any future outbreak, in addition to culling of animals on infected premises and those identified as dangerous contacts. However, the Report recognised that there were a number of issues to be overcome before emergency vaccination could be considered as a fully viable disease control option – this included logistical and scientific issues and gaining stakeholder buy-in to such a policy. Much progress has been made towards resolving these issues since the 2001 outbreak of FMD.

In addition, the EU FMD Directive 2003/85/EC gives greater prominence to the potential use of emergency vaccination as a disease control measure in the event of a future outbreak. Article 14 of the Directive places a duty on Member States “to prepare all arrangements necessary for emergency vaccination in an area at least the size of the Surveillance Zone” as soon as the first case of FMD is confirmed.

Q17. Who would carry out the vaccination programme?

A. We have contracted an external contractor – Genus Plc - to conduct the vaccination programme. This is because veterinary and other staff resource within Defra/Animal Health is likely to severely stretched in an FMD outbreak situation and the appointment of an external contractor to provide the vaccination resource ensures that we have a sufficient number of teams trained, and on standby, to be used in the event of an outbreak.

Q18. How would the vaccination programme be carried out?

A. Information on the operational arrangements for the vaccination programme is available in a further Q & A.

Q19. How would the size of the Vaccination Zone and species to be vaccinated be determined?

A. The decision on which species would be vaccinated, and the size and shape of the Vaccination Zone, would be determined by veterinary/epidemiological judgement. Other factors such as the availability of vaccine; the virulence of the strain; its tendency to airborne transmission; and how long the disease had been undetected, facilitating its spread, would all need to be taken into account. Seasonal farm management factors may also need to be given consideration.

Q20. Which animals would be vaccinated?

A. The species of animals to be vaccinated would be subject to veterinary or epidemiological assessment. Then only those over 2 weeks old in the case of ruminants, and over 8 weeks old in the case of pigs, within the Vaccination Zone would be vaccinated. Exceptions would be Dangerous Contacts, Infected Premises, premises where disease is confirmed following discovery by the vaccination team of suspected clinical signs of FMD, and (unless and until the presence of FMD is ruled out there) any premises where clinical signs are suspected. Breeds considered to be ‘Breeds at Risk’, i.e. rare breeds, may also be considered for vaccination if they were within the Vaccination Zone.

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IV. Effectiveness of vaccination

Q21. Are the current vaccines good enough to control the disease?

A. Yes, however no vaccine is 100% effective. It is possible that in a small number of cases there would be a failure of the vaccination to provide protection, not because the vaccine itself is ineffective, but either because of inadequate administration of the vaccine or because a small number of animals are likely to respond atypically and develop only a low level of immunity.

Q22. Can vaccinated animals develop and spread the disease?

Once vaccinated, animals are considered fully protected and should not develop disease. However, the virus can replicate even in animals immune to the development of clinical disease if they are exposed to infection. A proportion of such animals can become persistently infected while never developing clinical disease. These are so-called “carriers”. Expert scientific advice is that spread from vaccinated carrier animals is a rare event: the amount of virus excreted is many orders of magnitude less than that excreted by animals during the acute phase of disease or during sub-clinical infection. Excretion from carriers is intermittent and at a diminishing level over time, occasionally up to three years.

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V. Stakeholder issues

Q23. Do stakeholders still have reservations about the possible use of emergency vaccination in the event of a future outbreak?

A. Since January 2003, we have been engaged in a series of meetings with stakeholders to discuss the implications of disease control strategies, including emergency vaccination. Smaller sub-group meetings have also been held, amongst others, with the meat, milk, retail and consumer sectors. This work has gained stakeholder acceptance of products from vaccinated animals entering the food chain as normal although it is recognised that there are practical issues to be addressed regarding the treatments required for products from animals from Vaccination Zones. Defra has also produced in co-operation with Consumer Organisations a statement Adobe acrobat pdf file (12 KB) recognising the use of Foot and Mouth Disease vaccination as part of FMD control strategies.

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Q24. What assessment has been made of the likely economic implications if a decision is taken to vaccinate?

A. As recommended in the Lessons Learned Report, Defra commissioned a Cost Benefit Analysis on Disease Control Strategies which considered a number of core scenarios and provided additional evidence for future decision making on disease control strategy. Results from the Analysis were published in May 2005 and showed that vaccination to live can be an appropriate policy. Vaccination would result in additional overall costs in all except larger outbreaks, although it is recognised that cost is not the only factor in evaluating possible disease control strategies.

Q25. Are stakeholders aware of the Government’s vaccination policy?

A. Defra is communicating with stakeholders to ensure that they are aware of issues relating to the Government’s vaccination policy. We are liaising with farming, food and consumer groups to ensure that the views of all interested parties are appropriately represented in the policy making process. In particular, we have undertaken a programme of regional communications to reach a wide section of the rural economy. There has also been stakeholder involvement in the development and transposition of the EU FMD Directive into national legislation, and on the Contingency Plan. Furthermore, a stakeholder engagement page has been set up in the FMD section of the Defra website and this is used to provide updates, most notably on sectorial and core stakeholder meetings that took place during the summer and autumn of 2005.

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VI. Role of farmers

Q26. What role will farmers play in the vaccination process?

A. Given their knowledge and familiarity with their animals, farmers will be encouraged to assist with the vaccination process, particularly with gathering and handling. In an emergency situation, this will prove invaluable in helping us reduce the size of the vaccination teams, to complete the task more quickly and speed up the rate at which the vaccination programme as a whole can be completed.

Q27. What if farmers refuse to assist/co-operate?

A. There is a duty placed upon farmers to assist with the vaccination process in the Animal Health Act 1981, as amended in 2002. The Act also gives powers for the issue of a warrant authorising an inspector to enter premises, using reasonable force if necessary, for the purpose of vaccination.

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Q28. Will farmers be paid if they assist in the vaccination process?

A. No.

Q29. Is compensation paid for animals which are vaccinated?

A. If a policy of emergency vaccination to live is adopted, no compensation will be payable as the animals will live out their normal economic lives. Compensation will, however, be paid for animals slaughtered under a suppressive vaccinate to kill policy.

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FMD vaccination operational issues

I. External contractor


II. Operational arrangements


III. Vaccine supplies


IV. Identification of vaccinated animals


V. Controls on vaccinated animals


VI. Post vaccination testing


VII. Vaccination surveillance area


VIII. Special measures

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I. External contractor

Q1. Who would carry out the vaccination programme?

A. We have contracted an external contractor – Genus Plc - to conduct the vaccination programme. Our current arrangements provide for Genus to provide 50 fully trained and equipped vaccination teams (each consisting of a trained lay vaccinator, ear tagger and recorder) to be put into the field by day 5 of an outbreak. Further to this, some 60 veterinary surgeons have been recruited to check for disease prior to vaccination and to direct the work of the lay teams in the field.

Q2. Why use lay vaccinators?

A. To relieve pressure on veterinary surgeons during future outbreaks of FMD, when it is likely that they would be fully occupied on other essential control duties. We have consulted on proposed amendments to the Veterinary Surgeons Act and the Medicines Act to allow for the sale, supply, and distribution of vaccine by lay personnel, under veterinary direction and, after having considered the responses, amended the legislation to allow for this derogation.

Q3. What training will be provided to lay vaccinators?

A. As a minimum, vaccination teams, including lay vaccinators, are subject to training, which covers, amongst other things, Health and Safety, animal handling, biosecurity, equipment use and cleansing and disinfection. The training leads to a certificate of competence, valid for one year and signed by a veterinary surgeon.

II. Operational arrangements

Q4. What is the line of command for managing a vaccination programme?

A. The strategic direction behind any vaccination programme would ultimately be provided by the Chief Veterinary Officer and Ministers through to the National Disease Control Centre (NDCC). The NDCC would house a Vaccination Cell, lead by Head of Vaccination Operations, which would manage Genus Plc from the centre to ensure its services could be used to best effect on a national basis.

Q5. How will the vaccination contractor work alongside the Local Disease Control Centre?

A. As Genus Plc will be managed on a national basis, effective communications at a local level will be essential to ensure smooth implementation. This has been addressed within Animal Health’s internal Operational Instructions – which are currently under review - where a Vaccination Liaison Officer based at the LDCC acts as a liaison point between the LDCC and the contractor/vaccination teams.

Q6. Once the Vaccination Zone has been determined, how will the contractor implement a vaccination programme?

A. Genus Plc will be supplied with a complete list of holdings within the Vaccination Zone and will identify those with animals that require vaccination as advised by Animal Health. Subsequently, Genus Plc will contact farmers to arrange for pre-vaccination inquiry visits to be carried out by veterinary surgeons to check animals for any signs of disease and to assess animal handling facilities. Where FMD is not found, Vaccination Teams will be deployed to carry out vaccination, record animal numbers, collect and return records.

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Q7. What happens if a member of a Vaccination Team suspects that FMD is present on a farm?

A. Teams will be withdrawn from farms where clinical signs of FMD are suspected. In doing so, biosecurity protocols must be followed and all relevant items for disposal placed into a clinical waste bag which should then be sealed for disposal. Teams would be redeployed after suitable biosecurity protocols have been followed and a 72 hour break.

Q8. What biosecurity arrangements will apply to the contractor?

A. Genus Plc is required to ensure that its veterinary surgeons and vaccination teams are fully aware of the biosecurity measures, and must ensure that these are enforced. More specifically, Genus Plc’s staff must not have come into contact with susceptible animal species for 72 hours prior to vaccinating animals in a Vaccination Zone, and for 72 hours post completion of work in the Vaccination Zone. Staff who come into contact with stock infected with FMD are required to withdraw from the vaccination programme for a period of 72 hours and must not come into contact with susceptible livestock. All Genus Plc vaccination staff are subject to regular Health and Safety Training, which includes adhering to set biosecurity protocols.

Q9. What arrangements are in place for on farm biosecurity?

A. There is strict guidance in place for the handling and disposal of vaccine and clinical waste, and biosecurity protocols and guidance when entering and leaving a farm. Genus Plc is responsible for ensuring clinical waste is put into secured plastic bags and disposed of appropriately. Animal Health has also issued instructions which outline the arrangements for on farm biosecurity during an outbreak.

Q10. What equipment is available to implement a vaccination programme?

A. Genus is required to supply, store, distribute and maintain the necessary equipment to support the vaccination programme. Stores Managers have been appointed to maintain these stores and contracts are in place to allow for the replenishment of stocks within 48 hours. Contracts for disinfectant, ear tags and applicators, mobile handling facilities (including vehicles for towing) are the responsibility of Animal Health.

III. Vaccine supplies

Q11. Does the UK hold supplies of vaccines?

A. The UK has its own stocks of FMD antigens held on its behalf by a commercial supplier. These supplies are suitable for use in emergency protective vaccination (to live), the Government's preferred vaccination policy. In addition to its own stocks of FMD antigens, the UK has access to a wider range of strains held by the EU Vaccine Bank.

Q12. How do we know whether we are holding stocks of the right strains of vaccine?

A. The UK FMD Expert Group reviews the number of doses and the strains available annually, based on advice from the Institute of Animal Health at Pirbright on those strains of FMD which present the greatest risk to the UK.

Q13. What strains of FMD vaccine do we currently hold?

A. This information is classified.

Q14. What controls are in place to safeguard the vaccine’s safety efficacy and efficiency?

A. Whoever (i.e. Animal Health Officer or Genus Plc) takes receipt of vaccine will still need to comply with the provisions contained in the “Rules and Guidance for Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Distributors”. This requirement has been embodied into the contract with Genus Plc. Moreover, all vaccines are administered according to their authorised Marketing Authority.

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IV. Identification of vaccinated animals

Q15. How will vaccinated animals be identified?

A. The EU Directive on FMD requires Member States to take measures for additional identification or permanent and indelible marking of animals in the case of vaccination. To meet this requirement we will use plastic orange button tags which have been deemed preferable to metal tags as they pose fewer welfare issues. (These will be available only to Animal Health to reduce the risk of fraud.). In the manner outlined in the FMD (Control of Vaccination) (England) Regulations 2006, the tags will be marked ‘’FMD’’ (there will be no unique numbering).

Q16. What data/records will be kept of vaccinated animals?

A. The cattle passports system administered by the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) and their associated database the Cattle Tracing System (CTS) would be used to record vaccinated animals. Passports are to be stamped ‘FMD vaccinated’ along with the date and verified by the vaccination contractor at the vaccination visit. A list of the relevant ear tag numbers would then be sent to BCMS for recording onto CTS. This would ensure that passports would remain on farm and bio-security issues would not be compromised. Centrally, vaccinated cattle will also have their identity recorded on Defra’s Disease Control System (DCS) database.

V. Controls on vaccinated animals

Q17. What are the various Phases of a vaccination campaign?

A. There are three Phases to a vaccination campaign:

  • Phase 1: During this phase the geographical area for vaccination and the species to be vaccinated are identified. This phase lasts until 30 days after completion of vaccination in the zone.
  • Phase 2: This phase is after vaccination is completed and prior to the completion of the classification of holdings by carrying out a clinical and serological (NSP) survey.
  • Phase 3: This is after completion of the survey to check for infected animals amongst the vaccinated population, but before FMD free status has been regained.

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Q18. Are there any movement controls on vaccinated animals?

A. The following movements would apply:

  • During Phase 1, movement of live animals of susceptible species is prohibited between holdings and out of the vaccination zone, except where authorised for direct transport to immediate slaughter in or close to the vaccination zone.
  • In Phase 2, movement of live animals of susceptible species is prohibited between holdings and out of the vaccination zone, except where authorised for direct transport to immediate slaughter within or outside of the vaccination zone.
  • During Phase 3, movement of live animals of susceptible species out of the vaccination zone is prohibited, except where authorised for direct transport to immediate slaughter within or outside of the vaccination zone . Movement of susceptible animals between holdings can be authorised. Unvaccinated animals can, where authorised move outside the vaccination zone. Vaccinated animals cannot be exported even after FMD free status is regained.

Note: this is not a definitive summary of the requirements of the FMD Directive and should therefore be read only as a guide to the main features relating to the movement of livestock.

Q19. What happens to the products from vaccinated animals?

A. The products from vaccinated animals have to be treated and the treatments vary according to the phase of the vaccination campaign. This is done for animal health reasons – to prevent the virus accidentally being spread. There are no implications for human health. We have prepared a table detailing the movement controls and marketing conditions required under FMD legislation.

Q20. Can we export any products from vaccinated animals to the EU? What about third countries?

A. Provided products from vaccinated animals have been treated in line with requirements, they can be exported to the EU. During Phase 3, untreated meat from vaccinated pigs can be exported to other Member States, if they successfully request a derogation to do so from the EU. Such meat would have to bear a special mark. Provided products from vaccinated animals have been treated in line with requirements, they can be exported to third countries. Once FMD free status is regained, no treatment is required.

VI. Post vaccination testing

Q21. How quickly after vaccination could the country regain its FMD freedom status?

A. The OIE (the World Animal Health Organisation, which sets international animal health standards) sets down rules for recovery of FMD free status. Disease-free status can be recovered:

  • three months after the last case where culling of animals on infected premises and dangerous contacts (“stamping out”) and surveillance are applied;
  • three months after the slaughter of the last vaccinated animal where stamping out, serological surveillance and emergency (“suppressive”) vaccination is used;
  • six months after the last case or the last vaccination where stamping out and “protective” vaccination to live is used, provided that serological surveillance based on the detection of FMD non-structural proteins demonstrates the absence of infection in the remaining vaccinated population.

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Q22. What assurances would Her Majesty's Government have over the re-opening of the UK export market and to third countries following an outbreak of FMD?

A. There can be no certainty in this area. The OIE recommendations do not have legal force but we can expect that other countries (EU and other) would want to be satisfied that the disease had been fully stamped out. This would involve serological testing on a large scale – and this would be the position whether we vaccinated or not.

Q23. What sort of tests would be used to demonstrate absence of infection in animals that have been vaccinated?

A. Antibody tests – Non Structural Protein (NSP) tests - exist which can differentiate between animals, on a herd basis, which have been vaccinated and those which have been vaccinated and subsequently exposed to the FMD virus, or may still be infected.

Q24. Are existing Non Structural Protein (NSP) tests internationally recognised?

A. As yet there are no internationally recognised NSP tests for use in any species of livestock. The OIE has agreed the principle of using NSP tests for sero-surveillance to distinguish herds that have been vaccinated against FMD from those that have been infected but the sampling level to demonstrate this is still under consideration. There are currently two NSP tests for FMD described in the OIE manual but as these are not sufficiently reliable on an individual animal basis, they cannot be accepted as prescribed tests for the purposes of international trade. Nevertheless, the OIE FMD and Exotic Diseases Commission and the OIE Code Commission have accepted the principle of herd-based NSP sero-surveillance as a basis for countries regaining FMD-free status. This was discussed further at the FMD Expert group meeting in June 2006.

VII. Vaccination surveillance area

Q25. What is the Vaccination Surveillance Area?

A. Once a decision to vaccinate has been taken, the EU FMD Directive requires a Vaccination Surveillance Area not less than 10 kilometres wide surrounding the Vaccination Zone to be established.

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Q26. What controls would be placed on the Vaccination Surveillance Area?

A. Within this zone, movement restrictions would apply, animals could not be vaccinated and there would be enhanced disease surveillance.

VIII. Special measures

Q27. What arrangements are in place for the conservation of rare breeds?

A. One of the accepted recommendations in the Government response to the FMD Inquiries was that Defra should draw up arrangements for the prior registration of zoo and rare breed collections to facilitate a possible emergency vaccination strategy. In addition, Articles 15 and 77 of the EU FMD Directive (2003/85/EC) provide a legal basis for the conservation of “farm animal genetic resources”. We have developed a database, which entered use on 01 January 2006, to meet this requirement.

Q28. Which groups of animals will be eligible to be registered as rare breeds?

A. Definitions of ‘breeding nuclei’ and ‘farm animal genetic resources’ (as termed in the Directive) have been agreed following a consultation exercise. In order to be eligible for the special measures detailed in the Directive, premises must be pre-registered and appropriate levels of biosecurity must be applied. Details of how to register are available at [enter address].

Q29. What are the special measures which may be applied to rare breeds?

A. Special measures may include an option to derogate from the requirement to slaughter all animals on infected premises and an option to vaccinate. The measures for infected premises in particular are likely to be available only in exceptional circumstances and where the overall disease control effort will not be compromised.

Q30. Are zookeepers also required to pre-register their animals for special measures?

A. No. There is no requirement in the Directive for zoo animals to be pre-registered. However, the Royal Society’s Report on Infectious Diseases in Livestock recommended that a list of zoos be drawn up so that they can easily be located in the event of a future outbreak. This list is held by Defra’s Wildlife Species Conservation section.

 

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Page last modified: 17 March, 2008

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs