MPs warn vaccine is not a complete solution

In a report published on June 5, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRACom), warned that vaccination will not provide a complete solution to bovine TB (bTB).

Launching the report into the progress of a vaccine, EFRACom chair Anne McIntosh said vaccination is expensive, does not guarantee protection and will not on its own solve the problems caused by bTB.

"The Government is right to invest millions of pounds in developing vaccines against bovine TB. We should use every tool to combat this disease, but vaccination alone will not, at least in the short-term, provide a complete solution.

"Vaccines have no impact on already infected animals, offer a range of protection to those that aren’t infected, and will be expensive to deploy."

Small-scale studies in Ethiopia and Mexico have found the protective effect of a cattle vaccine to be 56-68 per cent. EFRACom warn that this is not a high enough level of protection to immediately solve the problem.

The injectable badger vaccine, which has been available since 2010, "could create a healthier badger population", according to Ms McIntosh. It is, however, expensive, she added, meaning it should be used in areas where it will have the most impact.

An oral baited badger vaccine is felt to be "the most likely way to create a healthy badger population," offering a cheaper and more practical alternative to vaccination.

Concluding, Ms McIntosh called on the government to investigate whether the gamma interferon test - a blood test that is more sensitive than the skin test currently relied upon - could be used more widely to test for bTB, despite the cost.

She added that ongoing research projects could make a real difference in eradicating the disease in the UK, and the government's continuing investment in this research is crucial.