BEN GILL TO MEET CHIEF SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR ON
VACCINATION
NFU President Ben Gill is to meet the Government's
Chief Scientific Advisor today to try to get answers to a series of outstanding
questions on the use of vaccine in the fight against foot and mouth disease.
At the meeting with Professor David King this morning, Mr Gill will attempt to
find out what scientific reasoning the Government has for the u-turn in its
policy on vaccination.
Mr Gill said: "I have had various meetings with Government representatives
in the last 24 hours, including the Prime Minister, and I am still gravely
concerned at suggestions that vaccination is the route we should take.
"We have not simply got our minds closed to this because we are being
obstructive. We have asked for a number of questions to be answered and
reassurances to be given before farmers take this extremely high-risk step.
Currently the response that we have had from Government has created more
questions.
"And these are not simply economic concerns, as some have suggested. There
is a real possibility that the use of vaccination could actually prolong this
outbreak, resulting in the culling of more cattle rather than less. This has
happened elsewhere in the world.
"Once we go down this road there will be no going back. And it is farmers
throughout the UK - not just in vaccinated areas and not only cattle farmers -
who will have to bear the consequences for a very long time to come."
Among the questions the NFU has asked are:
* How does the situation differ now from when previous advice was issued by the
Government suggesting vaccination was not the best route?
* Does MAFF have sufficient skilled resources to operate a vaccination
programme without detracting from the 24-hour culling programme?
* Will food processors and retailers buy product from vaccinated animals, now
and in the future, and if the products aren't marketable will the Government
act as a purchaser?
* Following Holland's decision last Thursday to slaughter its vaccinated
animals, can the Government give a cast iron assurance that this will not be
the case in the UK and what are the consequences for our trade with Europe and
the rest of the world?
The Government has made it clear that the only vaccination policy that could be
deployed is a selective vaccination of cattle in the hot spot areas of North
Cumbria and Devon. The Chief Scientist has said that this would be a supplement
to the current slaughter policy.
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