NFU warn Kent farmers to vaccinate for Bluetongue, as national cases rise
The disease is transmitted by midges with current cases in Scotland and the South West
Hugh Richards, a farmer in Biddenden, Kent, is urging fellow livestock owners to prioritise vaccination against bluetongue amid rising cases across the UK and challenging supply conditions.
England is now in a bluetongue restricted zone after more than five hundred cases were confirmed since July.
It's as the National Farming Union have spoke on the financial pressures caused by BTV vaccine availability, testing capacity, delays to fallen stock collections and the burden of reporting requirements.
Bluetongue, transmitted by infected midges, causes severe symptoms such as blisters, organ failure, and lethargy in livestock, requiring intensive treatment with antibiotics and corticosteroids.
Richards stressed the importance of preventative vaccination, noting that farmers who vaccinated their livestock faced significantly fewer health issues compared to those who did not:
"If people vaccinate first, it relieves kind of 90% of the problems.
"In the West Country, the biggest problem has been older sheep and unfit sheep. So if you've got some healthy young animals, they've survived and lasted well.
"This is of those that haven't been vaccinated.
"Those farmers that have vaccinated have got away with it very nicely.
"And so the big message is please, please vaccinate, and vaccinate as soon as you possibly can.
The vaccine is expected to costs roughly £2.50 per dose, with sheep requiring one dose and cattle needing two doses spaced four weeks apart for full protection. However, current supplies are limited, with a waiting period of several weeks.
Richards added that it was especially crucial with young animals, who need to be vaccinated approximately 12 weeks after birth:
"Once you've vaccinated the dams, the immunity only carries to the calves for the first 8 to 12 weeks of life.
"So the calves need vaccinating as soon as they're 12 weeks old. Otherwise, they're at risk.
"I've been vaccinating now for two years, but last year I lost a calf.
"I thought it had acorn poisoning and so I was treating it for that. But when we had it tested, it had bluetongue and I lost it. So one animal worth 1000 pounds, it easily justifies the vaccination cost."
Despite supply challenges, Richards urges farmers not to delay vaccination, as the disease can affect any livestock regardless of geographic location.
Offering advice, he recommends purchasing vaccinated stock or coordinating vaccination efforts among farmers to ensure all livestock are adequately protected.
Defra spokesperson said:
“This is an incredibly difficult time for animal keepers and vets who are on the frontline of this disease and we are monitoring the situation closely.
“Vaccination is the best tool available to prevent bluetongue. We are working with vaccine manufacturers to increase vaccine supplies so that farmers who have not already done so can vaccinate their livestock.”
Follow the latest control measures and check the official map for the most up-to-date information.