Back to East Penrest

Review vaccination strategy to control FMD immediately
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, 19 MARCH 2001

Although the Soil Association has fully supported MAFF's approach [referred to as Plan A] to control the outbreak of FMD in the UK until now, they believe a review of the eradication procedures should take place immediately as the policy is clearly failing to meet its objective.
Patrick Holden, Director of the Soil Association says,
'We think MAFF should give urgent consideration to adopting a new policy, based on a combination of selective slaughter and vaccination [referred to as Plan B]. Implementing this immediately will save further slaughter and aid the financial recovery of dependent industries.'
Features of Plan A
· Objective - to regain UK disease-free status as rapidly as possible
· Slaughter of all animals in infected herds
· Slaughter of all animals in nearby herds to achieve a 'firebreak' against the disease, even if they do not show FMD symptoms

Critique of Plan A
· MAFF policy isn't working - the number of cases continues to increase. The disease is more virulent and has a shorter incubation period than was initially anticipated
· Due the lack of suitable manpower and resources, the long time delay between detection, slaughter and incineration of carcasses is exacerbating the spread of disease
· It is likely that airborne spread will allow transfer of the disease to farms further afield than the current 'firebreak' distances of 3 kms
· The policy is having a devastating effect on the rural economy and is particularly affecting the tourism industry
· There is growing opposition to the policy of slaughtering potentially healthy animals both amongst the public and within the farming community, many of whom consider it to be morally unacceptable
· The increase in nationwide livestock movements since 1967, including longer distances travelled to abattoirs, coupled with a globalised food industry (risk of contamination entering the country) has led to the rapid transmission of disease throughout the UK

Features of Plan B - Selective slaughter and vaccination
· Objective - to regain disease-free status as soon as possible whilst simultaneously addressing most, if not all of the weaknesses of Plan A
· Slaughter only livestock showing clinical symptoms of the disease or those which have had known direct or indirect contact with the infection.
· Use vaccination to 'dampen' the spread of disease in infected areas
· Use vaccination instead of slaughter in 'firebreak' zones
· Maintain current restrictions on livestock movement to prevent the infection of new regions until policy is working effectively. Review how livestock movements are regulated in the future.
· Allow vaccinated animals to enter the UK food chain

Strengths of Plan B
· Can be introduced immediately (500,000 vaccine stocks exist, enough for 1m sheep) and the programme is more likely to prove effective than Plan A within a shorter timescale
· Vaccination programme far less costly to implement (most farmers are capable of administering inoculations). 'Firebreak' zones can be extended quickly and stock can be treated in situ
· Confines need for slaughter to a much smaller number of animals thus saving healthy animals on affected farms
· Far more acceptable to public opinion and the farming community
· Policy has proved effective in Albania and Macedonia in 1996 (the disease was eliminated in 12 weeks and 3 weeks respectively)
· The current UK outbreak meets criteria which has already been developed by the EU for the introduction of a vaccine control strategy

ENDS
Contact
Patrick Holden mobile 07774 846858
Soil Association Director 0117 914 2442 Soil Association
Bristol House, 40-56 Victoria Street, Bristol BS1 6BY
T: 0117 929 0661 F: 0117 925 2504 E: info@soilassociation.org Press Office
T: 0117 914 2448 F: 0117 925 2504 E: press@soilassociation.org © Soil Association Updated: 21/03/2001

Back to East Penrest