§ Mr. Laurence RobertsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what vaccines exist for inoculating cattle against TB; what use is made of such vaccines; what advice she gives to farmers about the use of these vaccines; and if she will make a statement. [84858]
§ Mr. Morley[holding answer 2 December 20002]: Developing a bovine TB vaccine is a long-term aim. The Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB (ISO) has cautioned that such a vaccine is a potential policy option only in the longer term and has set up, this year, a Vaccine Scoping Study. A report is expected to be submitted to Ministers early in 2003 on the feasibility of pursuing a vaccination strategy.
A test which is able to distinguish vaccinated from infected cattle would be a great asset in the development of a vaccination strategy. Development of such a test is part of our wide-ranging research programme. Once a test has been developed we would need to approach the European Union to seek its acceptance of the new test as showing cattle to be free from the disease. This would require a change to European law.
Any new vaccine would need to meet the EU criteria of safety, quality and efficacy for the authorisation of veterinary medicinal products.
The BCG vaccine is being used a starting point for much of the current research. We are looking at how BCG protects animals and what environmental factors affect this. Some of the possible new vaccines under development are mutated or altered forms of BCG.