Sheep farmers urged to help avert 2027 bluetongue vaccine shortage

Sheep farmers are being urged to declare their 2027 bluetongue vaccine needs now in a bid to prevent another supply crunch next spring.

The National Sheep Association (NSA) has launched a UK-wide survey asking farmers how many animals they expect to vaccinate against BTV-3 and whether they would consider committing to doses in advance.

The move follows significant pressure on vaccine supplies during the current bluetongue outbreak, which has affected sheep farmers across the country.

As of 24 August 2026, there have been 593 confirmed BTV-3 cases in the UK.

The NSA is working with vaccine manufacturers, veterinary surgeons and government to avoid a repeat of the current supply problems, but says manufacturers need credible estimates of future demand before committing to larger production runs.

Vaccine production takes several months, meaning decisions on volumes have to be made well before the next bluetongue season begins. New BTV-3 production runs are therefore expected to be focused largely on supplies for spring 2027.

Phil Stocker, chief executive of the National Sheep Association, said: “Farmers are experiencing challenges to gaining access to the vaccine, and NSA is determined that it does not happen again.”

He said manufacturers needed reliable information on both the number of doses farmers might require and the level of commitment behind those figures.

“This survey is our chance to give them those numbers, and to do it early enough to make a difference to what gets made,” Stocker said.

The NSA has long encouraged sheep farmers to pre-order vaccines as part of forward flock-health planning and said the current shortages highlighted the importance of anticipating demand.

The survey asks farmers how many sheep they would want to protect within different groups and whether they would be prepared to place an advance order through their vet this autumn.

It also asks what conditions farmers would need to see met before making that commitment.

A further part of the survey is examining whether vaccination status could begin to influence buying and selling decisions within the sheep market.

Farmers are being asked whether they would actively seek vaccinated sheep when purchasing stock and whether they would expect to receive more for animals they could confirm had been vaccinated.

The NSA said evidence of an emerging market preference for protected sheep could become another factor shaping vaccination decisions alongside the direct risk posed by the disease.

Stocker stressed that farmers completing the survey are not being asked to commit financially at this stage.

“NSA are not asking farmers to sign anything or spend anything today,” he said. “NSA are asking them to be honest about what they expect to do, so that the people making supply decisions have something solid to work from.”

Individual responses will remain confidential, with the results reported only as combined figures.

The NSA plans to publish its findings in September and share them directly with vaccine manufacturers, veterinary practices, government and the wider farming industry.

The survey is open to all UK sheep farmers and takes less than five minutes to complete.

Responses must be submitted by 13 September 2026.