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Bluetongue vaccine delivered

Update: 7 May

Defra has today issued a tender for 13 million additional doses of Bluetongue vaccine, eight million for use in England and five million for use in Wales.

 

The first batch of Bluetongue vaccine, ordered from Intervet last year, is being released to wholesalers and is ready for distribution to the Protection Zones in England.

The first batch of one million doses of the vaccine is now available in 20-dose and 50-dose bottles. The vaccine will require one dose in sheep and two doses, given three weeks apart, in cattle.

Environment Secretary, Hilary Benn said:

“We have worked very closely with a core group of industry experts throughout this process, and I am very pleased with the rapid progress that Intervet has made to develop and produce this new vaccine ahead of schedule and in a very tight timescale. 

“The success of our control and vaccination strategy will ultimately depend on the industry itself, and I strongly support the industry-led campaign to promote vaccination. The message to animal keepers is clear: ‘Don’t hesitate, vaccinate’”.

Under EU law, vaccination is only allowed in a Protection Zone - a designated area with restrictions in place to prevent an outbreak spreading. The Bluetongue vaccination plan sets out how vaccination will be rolled out and the Protection Zone expanded county by county across England, taking into account the availability of vaccine and the level of disease risk. 

In line with the principles set out in the roll-out plan, the first two batches of vaccine will be made available to livestock keepers in the Protection Zones to purchase through their private vets. As soon as further batches of vaccine are delivered, vaccine will be rolled out to the rest of the counties in the second priority phase for vaccination, before progressing more broadly across England county by county. Further batches of vaccine will be delivered by Intervet at regular intervals over the summer.

Further information

Page last modified: 7 May 2008
Page published: 30 April 2008