A STUDY on a farmer-led badger vaccination programme has been published in the British Ecological Society journal, demonstrating that vaccinations are both technically effective and socially acceptable methods for controlling bovine tuberculosis (TB).

Over recent years, the UK Government has sponsored large-scale badger culling in an effort to reduce TB prevalence, a strategy that has faced criticism, particularly from animal welfare groups.

In Cornwall, a group of a dozen farmers opted for an alternative approach, collaborating with local conservationists and scientists to implement a badger vaccination programme across an 11km² area over four years.

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The participating farmers refer to the ongoing controversy surrounding badger culling as the main reason for joining the study. The research, co-funded by farmers, conservationists, and scientists, aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of vaccinating badgers against the spread of TB.

Results showed a decline in the percentage of badgers testing positive for TB, dropping from 16% at the start of the programme to 0% in the final year, suggesting that badger vaccination is a highly effective measure for reducing TB incidence.

Social scientists involved in the study interviewed participants and found unanimous support for the vaccination initiative.

Although the study was small in scale, it suggests that a nationwide badger vaccination programme could be effective in controlling TB. However, the study does not ultimately prove a causal link between badger vaccinations and changes in TB epidemiology due to the lack of control measures used.

The findings indicate that broader use of badger vaccination is more feasible if led by the farming community with scientific oversight, rather than by conservationists or government authorities.

Badger culling has traditionally been a major component of TB control strategies, particularly during the 1990s and early 2000s when the disease was widespread in Ireland and the UK.

Bovine TB is a highly infectious disease in cattle caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium bovis, of which badgers are a common carrier. Transmission occurs through respiratory secretions from direct contact with infected badgers or indirectly via contaminated feed or water sources.

In Ireland, around €2bn has been spent over the past 20 years to control TB in the national herd, according to a report in the Irish Veterinary Journal. The report indicates that spending on the TB control programme has risen from €82m in 2015 to €97m in 2020, with the majority of funding coming from the Exchequer, covering 47.5% to 58.6% of total costs during this period.

Each positive TB case on a farm results in the culling of the affected animal and the suspension of the farm’s commercial activities until the herd is disease-free.

According to the Irish Veterinary Journal, TB incidence in the national herd has worsened in recent years, reaching 4.33% in 2021, 4.31% in 2022, and 4.40% in 2023.

Recent data from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) showed a slight increase in TB incidence to 4.99% in the first half of this year.

There has been growing emphasis on the role of badger vaccinations in controlling TB, with DAFM reporting that 5,046 badgers had been captured and vaccinated by May. However, culling remains the predominant control strategy, with an average of 5,500 badgers culled annually in Ireland.