A cross-party government committee has launched an enquiry into the feasibility of vaccinating cattle and badgers against bovine TB, after last month’s 11th hour U-turn on badger culling and the Welsh government’s decision to abandon culling badgers in favour of vaccination in the country’s Intensive Action Area. 

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee will cover the likely timescales and challenges associated with vaccination programmes, the costs involved and efficacy. Last year, a meeting of top scientific advisors to Defra said that, although the results of a badger cull conducted using free-shooting and other new methodologies could only be estimated, vaccination would have a clear effect, with none of the “negative effects” of culling.

EFRA’s enquiry will examine the current injectible badger vaccine programme and prospects for an oral badger vaccine, cattle TB vaccine and the Diagnostic test for differentiating infected from vaccinated animals (DIVA). The committee has asked for evidence from interested parties.

Submissions will be accepted until 11th January 2013. EFRA said evidence on the impact and challenges of vaccination on cattle and cattle product exports would also be accepted.

More information is available here.

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