Cattle vaccine 'could take over ten years'

A vaccine to curb the spread of tuberculosis in cows that is ruining Westcountry farming could take more than the ten years previously forecast to come to fruition, a minister has signalled.

In January, EU health commissioner Tonio Borg wrote to ministers saying the prospect of licensing a cattle vaccine was highly unlikely before 2023. But when probed by MPs at a Commons hearing, British Farming Minister David Heath said getting EU member states unaffected by the disease to sign off could mean the process takes even longer.