FURTHER DIALOGUE NEEDED ON VACCINE ISSUE -
NFU
Too many questions remain unanswered on the issue
of whether vaccination should be used in the fight against foot and mouth, the
NFU said today.
More evidence and further dialogue is needed before any decision is made, said
NFU President Ben Gill.
Mr Gill, Deputy President Tim Bennett and Director General Richard Macdonald
spent the morning in a meeting with other UK farming organisations, Agriculture
Minister Nick Brown and Government senior scientific advisors, including Chief
Vet Jim Scudamore.
They discussed the evolution of the disease throughout the UK and in particular
in the worst hit areas of the North West, South West and southern Scotland.
They looked at how effectively the current control measures are working and
gave detailed consideration to the implications of any complementary measures
such as strategic vaccination.
Mr Gill said: "We believe many questions remain unanswered. Where will the
disease go with the current intensity of culling? What practical things are
stopping us from increasing the rate of slaughter?
"Reports from around the country suggest that there is some improvement -
although it is limited - in applying the current strategy for eradicating the
disease. There is a clear need for evaluation of any additional measures before
any augmentation of that strategy is carried out.
"Everyone in the meeting agreed that a slaughter and destruction policy
remains the best solution to the problem. The key remains rapid slaughter of
confirmed cases.
"The question we need to answer is whether sufficient resources are
available now and, if not, can they swiftly be made so to enable this policy to
have the desired impact? For example, the maximum number of veterinary and
slaughter teams is vital.
"Only if these further resources are not available or if the situation
markedly deteriorates might there be grounds for using vaccination."
He added: "We must also press on with the destruction of carcasses. Their
ultimate disposal is not so important for foot and mouth control purposes but
must be done to allow affected farmers to start their recovery."
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