Schmallenberg vaccine is result of 'intensive activity'
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) has licensed veterinary pharmaceutical company MSD Animal Health to provide the "Bovolis SBV" vaccine for animals affected by the Schmallenberg virus.
VMD chief executive Pete Borriello said:
This is the culmination of intensive activity on the part of MSD Animal Health and the VMD to make a safe and effective vaccine available to tackle Schmallenberg.
Without in any way compromising the scientific rigour of our assessment process, we accelerated our assessment so that a vaccine will be available this summer.
This means it will be possible to vaccinate sheep and cattle before most of them become pregnant. This is important as it is during pregnancy when exposure to the virus can cause damage to the foetus.
A new vaccine could be made available to farmers whose livestock has been affected by the Schmallenberg virus, it was announced today.
The virus, which emerged in the Netherlands and Germany in 2011 and causes severe birth defects and miscarriages, has been identified on more than 1,700 farms across the country.
UK farmers will be the first in the European Union to have access to the Schmallenberg vaccine Credit: Chris Radburn/PA Wire
Adult animals infected by virus-carrying midges, thought to have blown across the Channel, gave birth to deformed or stillborn lambs and calves.
UK farmers will be the first in the European Union to have access to the vaccine, which will be used this summer, before most animals become pregnant again.
An appeal has been launched to help farmers who are in crisis after the hard winter. In some areas the snow, which stayed for months, means there is not enough feed for the animals.A fund set up by Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Services will pay for extra support on farms.
Farmers in Upper Teesdale, like those across the country, are struggling Credit: ITV News
It is not an April Fool, this lamb really does have five legs. Quinto, who was named by our reporter, was born on Whitehouse Farm in Morpeth. She is healthy and doing well.
Robert Neill farms near Jedburgh Credit: ITV Border
Farmers in the Scottish Borders say they are concerned after traces of horse and pig meat were found in beef burgers.
The Irish Food Safety Authority tested 27 beef burgers, from 5 British supermarkets, including Tesco and Iceland.
10 burgers tested positive for horse DNA, and 23 tested positive for pig DNA.
The products were tested at 2 factories in the Irish Republic, and 1 in North Yorkshire.
One processing company says its suppliers in Europe may be responsible.
Farmers fear the situation could have a knock on effect.
Robert Neill farms at Upper Nisbet Farm near Jedburgh. He said: "We have to trust everybody throughout the whole process of supplying meat.
Farmers are just the start of the process, but unfortunately if something like this happens, we take the brunt of the knock on effect, whether it be production, consumers not eating, prices go down, so yes it is a worrying scenario at the moment."
Farmers say their crops are being destroyed because the land is waterlogged.
Frances Read has been to meet farmers in County Durham and on Teesside, who say the the appalling weather has cost them hundreds of thousands of pounds.
