Bluetongue awareness campaign on vaccination in South East England
The NFU is urging all livestock keepers in the protection zone to vaccinate cattle and sheep when BTV8 vaccine becomes available at the end of April.
The "Don't Hesitate - Vaccinate!" awareness campaign is spearheaded by the NFU and funded by the regional development agency, SEEDA, in the South East. This initiative is part of the Joint Campaign Against Bluetongue, and regional partners include the Small Shepherds' Club and the Institute for Animal Health.
NFU South East is distributing 30,000 bluetongue awareness postcards and thousands of posters (see A4 colour poster download below) across the region to help get the voluntary vaccination programme underway. More than half have already been ordered by interested bodies by April 7.
The campaign is targeting livestock markets, agricultural feed merchants, veterinary practices, breed societies, specialist veterinary societies, agricultural show societies, farm attractions and community networks.
NFU South East livestock board chairman Howard Bates, a Kent sheep farmer, says: "We are extremely fortunate to have a vaccine to combat this disease and the NFU wishes to see 100% uptake of vaccine."
Dr Chris Oura, a world expert on bluetongue based at the Institute for Animal Health in Surrey, comments: "Vaccination against bluetongue is a 'no-brainer'. Farmers must protect their livestock from this devastating disease."
Intervet announced on April 1, 2008 that its bluetongue vaccine, Bovilis® BTV8, has been granted a licence by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) and Defra has announced the roll-out of the vaccination programme - www.defra.gov.uk/bluetongue
The licence sets out dose rates and treatment regimes, and means that the vaccine can now enter production. The recommended dose rates for animal over one month of age are as follows: *Sheep - 1 x 1ml, injected subcutaneously and *Cattle - 2 x 1ml, approximately three weeks apart, injected subcutaneously. In successive years, booster vaccinations should be given a fortnight before the risk period.
We have already stepped up media relations to highlight the fact that bluetongue is devastating in its second season and a broadcast campaign is planned at the end of this month.
How to order
If you wish to order postcards, A4 or A3 posters to display, email Temp.SE@nfu.org.uk stating the quantity you require of each and indicate if you need postcard dispensers. Please state 'BT postcards and posters' in the subject of your email.
The postcard is A5 - it carries identical wording to the poster and is designed for two purposes - as a flier to be distributed on a countertop or for direct mailings. It can be direct mailed by the addition of an address label and a stamp or a postal frank.
