Farron warns Government about blue tongue vaccine shortage

11.10.21am GMT Thu 13th Mar 2008

Local MP Tim Farron has today warned the Government that they may have seriously under estimated the amount of blue tongue vaccine. Mr Farron has obtained information through a parliamentary question to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs that an order has been placed for 22 million doses of the BTV8 vaccine which must be administered twice to cattle in order to be effective. This is unlikely to be sufficient to vaccinate the vast number of farm animals in Britain against the disease, which is likely to become more prevalent as summer approaches.

Tim Farron said:

"When you take into account the number of farm animals in this country, I am extremely concerned that the number of doses of the vaccine is clearly insufficient.

"We cannot allow the British farming industry to be threatened again this year by another blue tongue outbreak. I am aware that Britain is leading the EU in terms of a definite order of the vaccine, but more needs to be done."