Three unauthorised BTV-3 vaccines have been permitted for use. TwoYou ofcan only use these havevaccines beenif grantedyour use is compliant with a marketingvalid authorisationlicence. byOnly keepers in England can access a licence for vaccine.

About the vaccines 

Although these vaccines are not authorised, the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD),) andhas theassessed thirdthem. isThey unauthorised.consider Youthe canvaccines onlyto usebe theseof vaccinesa ifconsistent yourquality useand issafety, compliantand withefficacy ahas validbeen licencedemonstrated. orTherefore, declaration.

Forthey moremeet information on the BTV-3administration vaccinescriteria includingunder permitsSchedule and4 licencesof visitthe BluetongueVeterinary serotypeMedicine 3Regulations 2013 (BTV-3)VMR vaccination.2013).

Where you can use thea BTV-3 vaccines vaccine 

You can use these vaccines in:

• in England, but you must comply with the legal conditions of the general licence for England,.

  Scotland, including reporting vaccine use

• Wales, but you must comply with the legal conditions of the general licence for Wales, including reporting vaccine use
• Scotland, but you must comply with the Bluetongue declaration for Scotland, including reporting vaccinating cattle and sheep and reporting vaccinating other susceptible species

Northern Ireland hashave not licensed the use of of BTV-3 vaccines vaccines but will keep this position under review.

Important information for vets

In addition to your responsibility to inform the relevant authorities of any adverse effects that you notice, the UK and Wales Chief Veterinary OfficersOfficer havehas published an an advisory note for England and an advisoryasking note for Wales. These ask for your cooperation to keep records of the bluetongue vaccine doses that you order, supply and prescribe.  

Vets should notifyinform Defra of all vaccines they prescribe within 7 days of prescribingthe date prescribed. Email exotic.disease.policy@defra.gov.uk to notify. 

The UK Chief Veterinary Officer has requested this record keeping because this is the vaccinefirst usingtime the prescriptionthe ofpower the BTV-3 vaccineto reportingpermit form.an unauthorised vaccine has been used.

DecidingSpeak whether to vaccinateyour vet 

In the absence of an authorised vaccine, animal keepers should discuss the merits of BTV-3 vaccination with their vet.  

Work with your vet to both: 

• determine if BTV-3 vaccination vaccination is right for your animals. animals  
• decide the right time to vaccinate

Deciding when to vaccinate your animals 

You might choose to: 

• wait until next year (2025) to vaccinate your animals 
• vaccinate your animals now  
• not vaccinate your animals 

Reasons why you might want to vaccinate include:

• your animals now could include having high-value stock, high production units, rare breedsbreeds, or smallholdings
• smallholdings, or if the impact of reduced productivity, abortions orand reduced animal welfare couldmight affect conservation efforts

efforts.

You

Consider canthe alsocharacteristics checkof the Battlevaccines 

Unlike Bluetonguethe campaignauthorised vaccines for moreother informationbluetongue serotypes, the BTV-3 vaccines claim to reduce viraemia rather than prevent it. 

This means that BTV-3 vaccines may not prevent your animals from being infected or infectious. Depending on makingthe vaccinationvaccine, decisions.their claims include reduction or prevention of clinical signs experienced or mortality

Keep a record of your vaccinations 

Your vet must prescribe the vaccine, but you, the animal keeper, can administer the vaccine to your animals. You are reminded to use safe practice. 

When you use a a BTV-3 vaccination vaccination you must:  

• keep a record of every animal you vaccinate – the information you need to record is on the general licence and specific licences 
• keep these records for at least 5 years 
• if you are in England or Wales, provide details including the individual animal IDs and vaccine you use to Defra within within 48 hours of vaccinating
• if

Moving youvaccinated areanimals 

All inmovement Scotland,controls provideand detailstrade includingrestrictions thestill individualapply animalto IDsBTV-3 andvaccinated vaccineanimals. 

Vaccinated youanimals usecan tostill Scottishmove Governmentinto –Scotland reportor vaccinatingWales cattleif andthey sheepare onmoving ScotEID,from anda reportbluetongue vaccinatingdisease otherfree susceptiblearea. speciesHowever, onvaccinated GOV.UKanimals within 48a hoursbluetongue ofzone vaccination

Moving(for vaccinatedexample, animals

restricted zone or temporary control zone) are subject to the same movement controls as unvaccinated animals.  

All movementanimals controlswithin anda tradebluetongue restrictions arezone, including animals vaccinated against bluetongue, require a licence to move out of the samezone. for BTV-3 vaccinatedMoving animalsan animal to live outside of a bluetongue zone requires a specific licence as forwell unvaccinatedas animals.  pre-movement and post-movement tests. 

You should not test vaccinated animals as part of a pre-movement test in bluetongue zones until at least 7 days after their vaccination. This will prevent interference with with BTV-3 monitoring.  monitoring. 

There is some risk that individual countries could take a precautionary approach regarding trade in products from vaccinated animals. Defra does not judge this to be a major concern, particularly given current use of these vaccines on the continent. There are no known trading restrictions on products of animal origin from vaccinated animals. If restrictions were applied, we would engage with trade partners to try to mitigate these.