Defra responds to Soil Association demand for strategic use of bird 'flu vaccine
PRESS RELEASE 07/11/2006 (version 1) Categories: Press Releases 2006 | Downloads and other links
The Soil Association welcomes today's announcement by Defra that the government has finally issued tenders for securing an additional 10 million doses of vaccine for use in any future, potential outbreak of bird 'flu in the UK. Soil Association, Poultry Advisor, Anna Bassett said, "We are delighted that Defra have taken on-board our advice and issued tenders to get sufficient stocks of vaccine in place. During the Foot & Mouth outbreak, Defra's predecessor MAFF was deaf to our calls for the strategic use of vaccination, with disastrous consequences. "In contrast, the Soil Association has worked closely and constructively with Defra on how best to tackle any outbreak of bird 'flu. We gained their early agreement to allow isolation of organic free-range poultry from contact with wild birds that might carry the disease by using netting, rather than shutting them indoors. "This latest positive announcement will be a great relief to our poultry farmers; hopefully confirming the government is taking a more sophisticated and strategic approach to bird 'flu than it did with Foot & Mouth". The Soil Association first wrote to the Prime Minister requesting that sufficient stocks of vaccine be secured back in December 2005. In response to that letter, the Prime Minister arranged for Soil Association director, Patrick Holden to meet with the Number 10 Strategy Unit to put our case for strategic use of vaccination as a control measure - should there be an outbreak of bird 'flu. Concerned at lack of action, the Soil Association wrote a follow-up letter to the Prime Minister in February 2006. This led to a series of constructive meetings with senior Defra officials over the intervening months. At one of those meetings in late March 2006, we secured agreement from officials on the government pursuing an integrated control strategy should there be an outbreak. Whilst accepting the need to cull any infected flocks, the Soil Association made a strong, evidence-based case for the use of vaccine as a strategic control measure to slow the spread of the disease and to prevent wholesale and immediate slaughter of poultry. We asked that Defra urgently order 10 million additional doses of vaccine to have ready to use in this way. Additionally we discussed longer-term methods for building resistance against disease in our national flock. For further information, please contact: Robin Maynard, Soil Association head of media and communications: 0117 987 4607 / 07932 040 452 Anna Bassett, Soil Association poultry advisor: 07771 667 424 top More links Search library with term press releases 2006 Search rest of website with term press releases 2006 top Library documents in Press Releases 2006 category » £17 million Big Lottery Fund grant brings good food, cooking skills, farm visits and food growing to thousands of school children and their families 02/07/2008 » Orgasmic Organic - Valentine's with an eco-twist 02/20/2006 » David Cameron addresses Soil Association’s 60th Anniversary Conference reception 01/05/2006 » A REAL Burns Supper 12/22/2006 » Minister must take action over rising use of farm drugs implicated in new 'superbug' crisis 12/22/2006 » Revised EU regulation threatens to undermine organic sector 12/19/2006 » Relief for organic farmers as GM contamination threat lifted 12/15/2006 » Journalists have been taken for a ride by misreported organic chicken research 12/07/2006 » Soil Association dismayed at Government decision to give GM potato trial go-ahead - "Last thrashings of a dead dinosaur technology" 12/01/2006 » Deep-fried, additive-laden, junk food and bottomless fizzy drinks - ten top restaurant chains ranked for 'healthy' choices 11/30/2006 » Soil Association events from November 2006 11/20/2006 » Thinking of going organic? 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