bTB cattle vaccine unlikely until 2023
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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