Key considerations

This page provides a summary of considerations for vets prescribing the bluetongue vaccine

Note: Great Britain will be declared free of Bluetongue on 5 July 2011. After this date vaccination against Bluetongue will no longer be permitted. Veterinary surgeons should inform clients that should they wish to vaccinate their stock, they should do so before 5 July 2011, when the BTV8 zone is lifted.

The veterinary profession is the corner stone of the bluetongue vaccination programme with responsibility for vaccine delivery, proper usage and monitoring for efficacy.

Bluetongue vaccine is only authorised for use inside Protection Zones (PZ).

Under our care

The vaccines have provisional marketing authorisation and are classified as a POM-V. As such the vaccines can only be prescribed to animals “under our care” so you should

if appropriate, satisfy yourself that clients are competent to administer the vaccine
arrange any necessary visit(s) to check the livestock and premises in order to satisfy the condition “under our care”
ensure correct numbers of doses for numbers of stock

Vaccine summary

	Fort Dodge (not licened for use in sheep)	Intervet	Merial
Age of animal	Cattle from 2 months	Sheep and cattle over one month	Sheep and cattle over 3 months
Primary course	Cattle - two 2ml doses; 3 weeks apart	Sheep – one 1ml dose Cattle – two 1ml doses, 3 weeks apart	Sheep – one 1ml dose Cattle – two 1ml doses, 1 month apart
Protection	Established 25 days after second dose	Established 3 weeks after primary course	Established 3 weeks after primary course

The Invervet and Merial vaccines should be administered by subcutaneous injection and Fort Dodge vaccine by intramuscular injection.

Storage

It is essential that you strictly adhere to the data sheet requirements for the storage temperature at all times.

Off-label use

Veterinary surgeons should be aware of the data sheets for the Fort Dodge, Intervet and Merial vaccines.

The BVA advises members to seek owner consent when administering the vaccine ‘off-label’. You can use these Fort Dodge, Intervet and Merial vaccination templates or a blank consent form.

When used ‘off-label’ vaccination should be undertaken with care. It is advisable to test the vaccine on a small number of animals prior to mass vaccination. The level of efficacy for other species may differ from that observed in sheep and cattle.

Vaccination in these species has to be undertaken under the cascade system under the direct personal responsibility of a veterinary surgeon.

There will be no withdrawal periods if the vaccine is used in goats.

Efficacy issues and suspected adverse reactions

The vaccines have not previously been used in the field. A clear line of communication with farming clients is vital to report any suspected lack of efficacy or other suspected adverse reactions.

Any suspected adverse reactions should be reported to the vaccine manufacturer and / or the VMD through the SARSS scheme.

Further advice from Defra regarding vaccination.