Badger vaccination: impacts and implementation in the field Gavin Wilson National Wildlife Management Centre Rich Yarnell©
Talk aims What progress since license? Some facts and figures Knowledge gaps and things to think about
Badger Vaccine Deployment Project Launched May 2010 ~ 100km 2 ~ 100 farm premises Learn lessons –Practicality –Cost –Farmer confidence Train lay vaccinators dgBCG licensed March 2010
What vaccinating involves Find setts Placing traps Pre-baiting Trap setting Trap checking Vaccinating Release Remove traps
Vaccination video
Training course 4 day course –£750 –Classroom and field –Lantra accredited Certificate of competence –Vaccination standards –Audit –£700 / year (50% Defra grant – VCS) POM-v: Veterinarian NE / WG license to trap
Wider functions of BVDP Administer certificate of competence Collate data –Register of lay vaccinators –Badger vaccinations Provide ongoing advice Provide summary information
BVDP progress, in numbers 2167 vaccines delivered (by end-2012) 998 badgers vaccinated in people trained to date 5 field staff Management and data support 2014, final year Rich Yarnell©
Wider vaccine deployment progress
Knowledge gaps Badger vaccination and transmission risk? Badger vaccination and cattle TB? How to deploy this ‘tool’ effectively –Cost Estimated £2,000 - £4,000 per km 2 (?) More to learn about different deployment models
Addressing knowledge gap: effect on cattle TB Large randomised trial? –Prohibitively expensive 100km 2
Addressing knowledge gap: effect on cattle TB Adaptive - using growing vaccine database? ~ 6,000 doses delivered Map vaccination effort against cattle data –Design analytical protocol –Periodically assess effects in cattle –Currently under discussion Neil Aldridge©
Addressing knowledge gap: most effective use? Injectable: interim approach? Limited by cost and manpower Where and how should effort be deployed? –Endemic areas? –Edge areas? –Coordinated? Expertise is key
Acknowledgements Woodchester research team Landowners Defra Neil Aldridge©