Prepare for Bluetongue Vaccination - Chief Vet's message to Pembrokeshire County Show

PREPARE FOR BLUETONGUE VACCINATION – Chief Vet’s message to Pembrokeshire County Show

The Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales, Dr Christianne Glossop, has asked Pembrokeshire farmers to act on advice to prepare to vaccinate livestock against Bluetongue.

The Welsh Assembly Government has announced its intention to declare the whole of Wales a Bluetongue Protection Zone around the end of August or the beginning of September, allowing vaccination to begin across the country. The exact date is subject to the availability of Bluetongue vaccine and no new outbreak of the disease.   However, it is not expected to be before 31 August.

Dr Glossop, speaking ahead of the Show, said: “I hope that everyone attending the Pembrokeshire Show has an excellent day, but would like to take the opportunity to remind farmers of the serious threat of Bluetongue.

“Vaccination is the best means of defending your animals against this disease. It is important to protect your livestock, your business and the industry as a whole. We are already in the period of highest risk of Bluetongue – the first case of Bluetongue in the UK last year was in September and there have been some 4,000 cases of new disease in 2008 in Northern Europe, which is increasing daily.

“My message to farmers is that they should get ready to vaccinate now. This involves contacting their private vet immediately to order their vaccine doses, if they have not already done so. They will then be ready to vaccinate when batches of the vaccine are made available and the Protection Zone is declared.”

Further information and advice on Bluetongue will be available at the Welsh Assembly Government stand at the Pembrokeshire County Show. Alternatively, see www.wales.gov.uk/bluetongue