Faced with the evolving health situation in Europe, the procedure for purchasing vaccines against lumpy skin disease (LCD) has been launched in order to be able to act quickly if an outbreak is detected on Belgian territory or near the borders, announced Tuesday the Federal Minister of Agriculture, David Clarinval (MR).
Several outbreaks of DNC, a viral disease of cattle transmitted mainly by biting insects, have appeared on European soil and particularly in France since last summer.
Although it is possible to use the stock of vaccines available at the level of the European Commission or in certain Member States, Belgium has decided to set up a national vaccine bank in order to guarantee immediate response capacity. In this context, the Minister of Agriculture launched the procedure for purchasing vaccines – and mobilizing the necessary budget – in order to support breeders in the face of this situation.
In the event of an outbreak in Belgium, the measures to be applied are defined by European regulations, aiming above all to prevent the rapid spread of the disease and to protect the entire herd. European regulations do not allow preventive vaccination: there must be an increased risk of contamination and a case detected on our territory or at a distance deemed critical from our borders in order to be able to vaccinate, recalls the minister in a press release.
“With the creation of this stock of vaccines, we are ready for vaccination. However, such a decision is not without economic consequences for the sector. It involves in particular the loss of disease-free status without vaccination, as well as restrictions on the movements and marketing of cattle and their products, including dairy products,” he adds, ensuring that a risk analysis is carried out continuously by the competent authorities “in order to constantly adapt our strategy to the evolution of the health situation. »
The minister will quickly convene the competent administrations, breeder organizations and veterinarians in order to discuss these measures transparently, to explain concretely what they imply at the Belgian level and to agree on a structured communication plan.
