Emergency vaccination is likely to be central to tackling any future outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease under the latest European Union rules.
European agriculture ministers have agreed to EU-wide measures for controlling foot-and-mouth which puts emergency jabs at the forefront of disease control strategies.
Under the revised directive, all member states must consider using emergency vaccination as soon as foot-and-mouth is confirmed.
Meanwhile, attempts have been made to soften the commercial blow of the inoculations. Disease-free status will be regained six-months after the last vaccination (as long as absence of infection is proven) instead of the 12-month wait in place during the 2001 outbreak.
North West National Farmers’ Union spokesperson Gill Shearer welcomed the change, adding that EU support for emergency vaccination did not mean the farming union or the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) were wrong to reject its use in 2001.
“It just wasn’t feasible. Then the outbreak was well developed, jumping over hot spot areas. Emergency vaccination will only work within three kilometres of the outbreak – we were seeing it jump further than that. Its use was too late in Cumbria.” The new EU rules still support the basic DEFRA approach of eradicating foot-and-mouth by culling all susceptible animals on infected premises and dangerous contacts but this is now allied to prompt consideration for emergency vaccination.
Special vaccination measures are also recommended for zoos, wildlife parks and rare breeds but a suggestion to introduce routine vaccination for farm animals was rejected.
The Country Land and Business Association welcomed the direction given by the amended EU directive but was anxious that the European Commission would now be making the decisions about tackling foot-and-mouth.
“If DEFRA bears increas-ingly less responsibility for what might happen in future outbreaks, how will indiv-iduals be able to input their knowledge and opinions?” said regional CLA director Douglas Chalmers. “We must be sure that local knowledge and veterinary advice are part of the decision-making process.” Britain and other member states have until June 30, 2004 to implement the new directive.
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