Bovine TB: Vaccination
As part of Defra’s commitment to tackling the issue of bovine TB (bTB), we have invested in a significant research programme looking into the development of vaccines for both cattle and badgers. The total investment (since 1998) in vaccine development reached more than £17.8 million by March 2008, with over £5.5 million invested in cattle and badger vaccine research last financial year (2007/08).
On 7 July 2008, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced a commitment to additional funding over the next 3 years. During this time period, £20 million will be spent on vaccine development to strengthen the prospects of successfully developing a usable vaccine.
The research programme consists of a portfolio of projects looking at vaccine development as well as new diagnostic tests and disease epidemiology to support vaccine use. This is a long term programme and it will be several years before any vaccine could be available.
Although the development of vaccines would provide a significant contribution to the control of bTB, it must be noted that it will not provide a single answer to the problem but would need to be used in conjunction with existing control measures. This is because vaccination is not 100% effective in terms of protection so would need to form part of a package of measures.
How might a vaccine be used?
To date, work on developing bTB vaccines has been primarily research led with the aim of showing that vaccines for bTB in cattle and badgers are effective in an experimental setting and to identify lead vaccine candidates. Some of the vaccine development projects have now reached a second phase where lead options have been identified and further efficacy testing and field studies for licensing purposes are being conducted.
At this point, where lead candidate vaccines have been identified, clarity on options for use is necessary to provide a framework for assessing the relative merits of each candidate. Additionally, early development of a clear plan for getting the vaccines from laboratory to field will insure against a delay in implementing a vaccine policy once a suitable product is available.
Consideration has been given to possible policy options for how a vaccine might be used for cattle and badgers, along with other control measures, with the aim of reducing the incidence of TB in cattle. A TB Vaccines Programme has been set up within Defra to bring together the research and policy development. The policy options will be developed and informed by veterinary advice, economic analysis and external stakeholder input which will be sought throughout the policy development process.
There are a number of different ways in which vaccination could be used to tackle TB in cattle and/or badgers, each with associated benefits and issues. At the core of these is the balance of costs versus benefits in terms of disease control but there are also wider issues that need to be taken into account and balanced such as acceptability, practicality and legal constraints. Also to be taken into account is EU legislation, which in its current form prohibits the use of TB vaccines. Work has begun to identify and address these issues so we are able to use a vaccine once available.
Scenarios for the potential use of cattle and badgers vaccines
The TB Vaccines Programme has held discussions with a number of stakeholders including farming groups, veterinary groups and wildlife groups on scenarios for the potential use of cattle and badger vaccines against bovine TB.
These discussed the major issues surrounding the use of vaccination such as legal constraints, practicality, acceptability and commercial viability. On the basis of these discussions, cattle and badger vaccination option papers were developed which set out a range of possible scenarios for how vaccines might be used.
These papers were presented to our stakeholders with the aim of reaching a consensus on the potential of vaccines.
The Cattle (PDF 590KB) and Badger (PDF 575KB) vaccination options papers are available here and list those stakeholders which were consulted with and subsequently endorsed the papers as a basis for developing the vaccines programme.
It is important to be aware at this stage that these papers set out possibilities and not policies for the potential use of cattle and badger vaccines. Also, vaccines will be used in conjunction with existing control mechanisms.
Work on the economics of cattle and badger vaccination is ongoing and the figures provided are speculative and therefore should not be taken as definitive. The numbers provided in the papers are included to provide an idea of the potential costs involved and to demonstrate that vaccination can be economically viable. The costs within the papers will be updated once more information is available.
Injectable Badger Vaccine Deployment Project
An injectable badger vaccine will be the first product from the vaccine research programme. Whilst an injectable badger vaccine is not regarded as suitable for widespread use, stakeholders have agreed that a small scale project to demonstrate the principle of vaccination could be beneficial.
Therefore, Defra is funding an injectable badger vaccine deployment project. The broad aims of the project will be to build confidence in the long term contribution badger vaccination can make to tackling bovine TB and to provide valuable information which can help us move towards the long term goal of an oral badger vaccine. We will work closely with stakeholders and researchers to shape the project and maximise its impact
Page last modified: 7 July, 2008