DEFRA scales down badger vaccination trial

Plans to vaccinate badgers against bovine tuberculosis have been cut back by the coalition government.

Only one of the six areas designated for the vaccination programme in England will go ahead, according to DEFRA.

Badgers in the Stroud, Gloucestershire, site will be trapped and injected with the BCG vaccine beginning in July. The project will be carried out over a five year period.

A second area in Gloucestershire will only now be used for sett survey work while the remaining areas – two in Devon, one in Staffordshire and one in Herefordshire/Worcestershire have been scrapped.

Farm minister Jim Paice said that spending curbs and a change in policy had warranted the cut backs on the project.

“We’ve committed to carefully-managed and science-led badger control as part of a package of measures, and we’re looking carefully at badger vaccination and culling as part of that.

“It makes sense to review the Badger Vaccine Deployment Project to keep our options open and to ensure best possible use of taxpayers’ money.

“By going ahead with the training in Stroud, we’ll maintain capacity to train lay vaccinators while we consider how best to deploy vaccines as part of a badger control policy.”

The Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) will trap and vaccinate badgers using the recently-licensed injectable badger BCG vaccine on up to 100 km2 of cattle land near Stroud. It will also offer training to lay vaccinators to help build capacity.

The aim of the BVDP is to build confidence in the principle and practicalities of vaccination, develop practical know-how for vaccinating badgers and provide an opportunity to learn how best to address practical difficulties.