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Livestock keepers are being urged to order vaccine to protect their sheep and cattle against bluetongue virus (BTV8).

Both commercial farmers and smallholders in the protection zone*1 (PZ) are being urged to vaccinate cattle and sheep when BTV8 vaccine*2 becomes available at the end of this month.

The "Don't Hesitate - Vaccinate!" awareness campaign is headed up by the NFU and funded by the regional development agency, SEEDA, in the South East. This initiative is part of the Joint Campaign Against Bluetongue3*, and regional partners include the Small Shepherds' Club and the Institute for Animal Health*4.

Up to 30,000 postcards will be distributed by the NFU in the South East, with accompanying awareness posters. The campaign will target livestock markets, agricultural feed merchants, veterinary practices, breed societies, agricultural show societies, farm attractions and community networks.

NFU South East livestock board chairman Howard Bates, a Kent sheep farmer, warned: "This virus has the potential to devastate the sheep sector and cause severe impacts on cattle enterprises. The NFU is urging all livestock keepers, large and small, to contact their vet and order vaccine now - don't hesitate, vaccinate! Healthy livestock are essential to a farmer's livelihood and I shall vaccinate at the earliest opportunity. We are extremely fortunate to have a vaccine to combat this disease and the NFU wishes to see 100% uptake of vaccine."

Vaccine must be administered swiftly so that livestock have immunity when midge activity increases during warmer weather and virus transmission can occur.

Bluetongue is devastating in its second season. It causes deaths, stillbirths and reduced productivity in sheep and cattle. Offspring of infected animals can be born with the virus and often die.

Mr Bates, who has first hand experience of the impact of bluetongue on Belgian farmers, added: "Experience from northern Europe has shown that losses can be very high - one third of lambs have been lost already. Our industry can't afford to take any chances which is why we're working with stakeholders at grassroots level across the South East. I can assure livestock keepers that using this vaccine will be the most cost effective operation you will carry out all year."

Dr Chris Oura, a world expert on bluetongue based at the Institute for Animal Health in Surrey, said: "Vaccination against bluetongue is a 'no-brainer'. Farmers must protect their livestock from this devastating disease.

"Vaccination is likely to be introduced in a phased way as vaccine becomes available. The first doses, due to arrive in May, will be released to the protection zone (PZ) and as more vaccine becomes available it will be given to more farms as the PZ is expanded westwards. Farmers need to vaccinate all their sheep and cattle immediately the vaccine becomes available. If we achieve as close to 100% vaccine cover as possible within the infected areas (PZ) there is a good chance of significantly slowing, or even stopping, the spread of the disease outside the PZ in 2008.

"A successful vaccination programme in the infected areas (PZ) could save the rest of the livestock industry from this devastating disease," added Dr Oura.

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