EU Legislation, Initiatives, etc.
Defra: Environment Secretary Hilary Benn has announced that the first batch of Bluetongue vaccine, ordered from Intervet last year, is being released to wholesalers and is ready for distribution to the Protection Zones in England.
The first batch of 1m doses of the vaccine is now available in 20-dose bottles. A larger batch of up to 2m doses, produced in 50-dose bottles, is expected to follow within a few days. The vaccine will require one dose in sheep and two doses, given three weeks apart, in cattle.
Under EU law, vaccination is only allowed in a Protection Zone - a designated area with restrictions in place to prevent an outbreak spreading. The Bluetongue vaccination plan sets out how vaccination will be rolled out and the Protection Zone expanded county by county across England, taking into account the availability of vaccine and the level of disease risk.
