Adema approves new vaccine against bluetongue virus

ANP Productions | Source: ANP

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Outgoing Agriculture Minister Piet Adema has approved a new vaccine against the bluetongue virus for use. He wrote this in a letter to the House of Representatives on Friday. The first million doses will hit the Dutch market within a week, with another million two weeks later.

This is a vaccine from the Spanish animal pharmaceutical company Syva. The Veterinary Medicines Agency, which quickly assessed the vaccine at Adema’s request, expects it to be safe and good enough. One dose is enough for sheep, cattle need two injections, several weeks apart.

The nearly million sheep that live in the Netherlands, according to figures from the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, can therefore be vaccinated quickly. Tens of thousands of sheep died last year when they were infected with the bluetongue virus by midges. Those little mosquitoes will return when it gets warmer, and sheep farmers hoped for a vaccine before a new wave of infections broke out.

“In principle, the vaccine is for sheep and cattle, which are also hit hardest by the virus,” reports an Adema spokesperson. “Goats may be eligible, the vet must discuss this with the pharmaceutical company.”

Adema is happy that a vaccine is on its way. “The recent period has been terrible for both the animals infected with the bluetongue virus and the keepers of these animals.”