DEFRA to order bluetongue vaccine but farmers to pay

DEFRA is to order enough bluetongue vaccine to treat nearly every ruminant in Great Britain, but the industry is expected to meet the cost of administrating it.

DEFRA secretary Hilary Benn announced plans to create a vaccine bank holding between 10 and 20 million doses of vaccine on Thursday (1 November).

A vaccine for the strain affecting livestock in Britain is not yet available, but several companies have vaccines in development and are expected to be available next in the summer of 2008.