Friday, November 12, 2010
Vaccination and the badger cull
Another question in Plenary this week to the Rural Affairs Minister on the proposed badger cull in North Pembrokeshire:
Peter Black: Minister, are you aware of the recent publication of the results of a four-year study into the vaccination of badgers in Gloucestershire against bovine TB, carried out by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency and the Food and Environment Research Agency? The study discovered a 74 per cent reduction in the proportion of badgers testing positive in the antibody bTB blood test. Given that this seems to underline the efficacy of a vaccination strategy, taken with the other measures that you already wish to put in place in the pilot area in Pembrokeshire, will you reconsider including vaccination as part of your strategy? You could do that instead of the cull that you seem intent on carrying out.
Elin Jones: I am sure, Peter, that you will respond to the formal consultation on the intensive action area in north Pembrokeshire. I will await the responses to that consultation before taking a final decision on the appropriate course of action in north Pembrokeshire. I have said all along that vaccination will play a part in the eradication of TB in Wales. I look forward to reading the report, which was, I think, published yesterday, on vaccination trials in Gloucestershire.
The research referred to is reported on here.
Peter Black: Minister, are you aware of the recent publication of the results of a four-year study into the vaccination of badgers in Gloucestershire against bovine TB, carried out by the Veterinary Laboratories Agency and the Food and Environment Research Agency? The study discovered a 74 per cent reduction in the proportion of badgers testing positive in the antibody bTB blood test. Given that this seems to underline the efficacy of a vaccination strategy, taken with the other measures that you already wish to put in place in the pilot area in Pembrokeshire, will you reconsider including vaccination as part of your strategy? You could do that instead of the cull that you seem intent on carrying out.
Elin Jones: I am sure, Peter, that you will respond to the formal consultation on the intensive action area in north Pembrokeshire. I will await the responses to that consultation before taking a final decision on the appropriate course of action in north Pembrokeshire. I have said all along that vaccination will play a part in the eradication of TB in Wales. I look forward to reading the report, which was, I think, published yesterday, on vaccination trials in Gloucestershire.
The research referred to is reported on here.
