Press Release - Vaccination Programme Amendments

NBA delighted with whole-of-Scotland approach to vaccination programme.

The establishment of a vaccination programme against the bluetongue virus 8 (BTV8) across the breadth of Scotland at the earliest possible opportunity has always been the aim of the National Beef Association.

And it is delighted that other industry stakeholders, and the Scottish Government, have at last agreed to the adoption of a compulsory vaccination plan which will start from this winter, but not before November 1st.

""Vaccine will roll out in the beginning with around four million doses and further batches will be delivered over the coming winter months"", said NBA Scotland chairman, Iain Mathers.

""As long the disease does not show its face until the midge-free period begins around mid-December, I am sure Scotland will be able to assemble a belt and braces protection programme against further threat from BTV8 because all its vulnerable stock will have been vaccinated when midges again become active after April 2009.""

""The risk of BTV8 entering the country this autumn remains high, but the NBA is asking farmers to help to protect themselves in the interim by waiting until winter before importing stock from countries hit with bluetongue"".

""There will be plenty of time to move stock after the vector free period begins sometime around mid-December and we would like would-be importers to accept this,"" said Mr Mathers.

The Association is also pleased that when vaccination begins it will be conducted on a whole-of-Scotland basis.

""The NBA has always been against unwanted trade impediments and price distortions being forced on farmers by regionalisation and the nuisance of constantly moving control lines appearing on the national map,"" explained Mr Mathers.

""This will now not happen because stakeholders and government have agreed the vaccine roll-out will be conducted across all parts of the country at the same time.""

""Should BTV8 cross the border this autumn, vaccination will have to be concentrated on a very tight protection zone (PZ) around the infected farms because only one million doses will be available until the end of October.""

""However it has also been agreed that the surveillance zone, which usually covers everything within a 150 kilometre radius of infected holdings, will cover the whole of Scotland too, which will make life as easy as is possible for everyone.""

""If Scotland can keep clear of BTV until vaccine is available for distribution from November 1st its stock farmers will benefit.   Until then we have to keep our fingers crossed, and hope infected midges do not move north and that no infected stock is imported either,"" Mr Mathers added.

For more information contact:
Iain Mathers, chairman NBA Scotland. Tel. 07801 746600