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bTB cattle vaccine unlikely until 2023
Cattle vaccine at least ten years away, says EC

The European Commission (EC) has told Defra that a cattle vaccine for bovine TB (bTB) is unlikely to be made commercially available until 2023.

Writing to Defra secretary Owen Paterson, EU health commissioner Tonio Borg said a cattle vaccination against bTB is "explicitly forbidden," according to EU legislation on disease control. The ban, he said is due to the fact that vaccination interferes with the TB skin test. This means that vaccinated animals who become infected cannot be distinguished from uninfected vaccinated animals. "This would jeopardise current bTB control and eradication policy," he said.

According to Mr Borg, "many knowledge gaps" exist regarding the performance of the the live BCG vaccine, which is currently the only available candidate. He said a recent vaccination workshop in Cardiff indicated a lack of knowledge on the safety of the vaccine, its conditions for use and the suitability of a DIVA test to distinguish between infected and uninfected vaccinated animals.

Mr Borg continued to say that the "fundamental scientific information" required to change EU policy on cattle vaccination, accompanied by a DIVA test was not yet available. Before a vaccine can be made commercially available, he added, further study is required to address food safety issues, such as the shedding of vaccine strain in milk. There are human health concerns as BCG is currently the only vaccine available for humans. It is possible, Mr Borg said, that its use in cattle could lead to BCG-resistant strains of bTB that may also affect humans.

He outlined in his letter a "tentative timeline for bTB vaccination of cattle in the UK," which suggests possible changes to EU legislation is at least ten years away.

Mr Paterson said Mr Borg's letter "recognises that we are on course to deploy a vaccine. The legal and scientific process could take up to 10 years. In the meantime we will continue to use all the tools at our disposal."

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Submissions open for BSAVA Clinical Research Abstracts 2026

News Story 1
 The BSAVA has opened submissions for the BSAVA Clinical Research Abstracts 2026.

It is an opportunity for applicants to present new research on any veterinary subject, such as the preliminary results of a study, discussion of a new technique or a description of an interesting case.

They must be based on high-quality clinical research conducted in industry, practice or academia, and summarised in 250 words.

Applications are welcome from vets, vet nurses, practice managers, and students.

Submissions are open until 6 March 2026. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Survey seeks ruminant sector views on antimicrobial stewardship

A new survey is seeking views of people working in the UK ruminant sector on how to tackle the challenge of demonstrating responsible antibiotic stewardship.

Forming part of a wider, collaborative initiative, the results will help identify the types of data available so that challenges with data collection can be better understood and addressed.

Anyone working in the UK farming sector, including vets and farmers,is encouraged to complete the survey, which is available at app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk