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<p>On 5 March 2020, the Government published its response to Professor Sir Charles
Godfray’s 2018 review of England’s bovine TB eradication strategy, setting out the
priorities for the next phase of the strategy.</p><p> </p><p>Developing a TB vaccine
for cattle is one of our priorities. A cattle vaccine could be a game-changer in terms
of providing a strong additional tool to help eradicate bovine TB. In July 2020, we
announced that the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) had granted permission for
field trials of both the candidate Cattle BCG vaccine and the candidate skin test
to detect infected animals among vaccinated animals (the DIVA skin test). Like other
veterinary medicines, both the Cattle BCG vaccine and the DIVA skin test will need
VMD marketing authorisations before they can be deployed. We hope that field trials
will provide the evidence required for future marketing authorisations and for the
DIVA skin test to be internationally recognised. The aim is to start field trials
in 2021 and complete them in 2024. Provided the field trials go as hoped, and VMD
considers the marketing authorisation applications satisfactory with respect to quality,
safety and efficacy, the timeline envisages those authorisations being granted in
2025.</p><p> </p><p>We also set out in the Government response plans to evolve the
wildlife control policy, with increased support for badger vaccination following the
widespread deployment of effective, industry-led intensive badger culls. We envisage
that the widespread badger culling policy will begin to be phased out and gradually
replaced by Government supported badger vaccination and surveillance. Culling of badgers
in specific areas will remain an option where the epidemiological assessment indicates
it is needed.</p><p> </p><p>There is no single measure for tackling bovine TB and
that is why we continue to pursue a suite of interventions to eradicate the disease
in England.</p>
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