There are “significant gaps” in knowledge and evidence about the effect of vaccinating badgers in Wales against bovine tuberculosis (TB), according to researchers. A team from the British Ecological Society’s Wales policy group, along with staff from Cardiff and Aberystwyth universities, argue the gaps reduce the effectiveness of this method of trying to deal with the disease. Vaccination is part of a programme to eradicate bovine TB in Wales, but it is a controversial topic. The Welsh government said it was “renewing” its approach to eradicating bovine TB.
There have been calls for alternative methods to vaccination for controlling the infection among cattle, such as badger culling, as they can carry the disease and transmit it to cattle. Cattle are regularly tested for the presence of the infection and are slaughtered if they are found to be carriers. The call for more monitoring comes in a new policy briefing by researchers. They are calling for increased monitoring of the vaccination’s impact, a review of the evidence, and collaboration with farmers “to ensure the greatest possible impact” from the programmes.
In their policy briefing, they say “major questions remain about how many badgers are being vaccinated, what impact vaccinating badgers is having on disease levels in cattle, and how confidence in vaccination can be improved among farmers and veterinary professionals”. Dr Niall McKeown, a lecturer in the department of life sciences at Aberystwyth University and vice-chair of the British Ecological Society’s Wales policy group, said the infection “remains one of the biggest animal health challenges facing Wales”. “Badger vaccination should not be presented as a stand-alone route to eradicating bovine tuberculosis,” said McKeown. “There is strong evidence that BCG vaccination protects badgers, but evidence that operational vaccination programmes reduce disease in cattle remains limited.
“Any cattle-level benefit is likely to depend on sustained and sufficiently extensive vaccination coverage alongside effective cattle controls.” He emphasised it was not simply more vaccination that was needed “but vaccination that is better targeted, measured and evaluated”. “By combining non-invasive genetic monitoring with sett surveys, camera traps and movement data, we can estimate local badger numbers, check the proportion of the population reached and identify significant gaps,” he added. A spokesperson for the Welsh government said: “We are renewing our approach to eradicating bovine TB in Wales, focusing on three main elements: cattle, people, and wildlife. “This work will be evidence-based and science-led, taking into account advice from the programme board and the technical advisory group, while ensuring that value for money remains a core consideration in decision-making.” Last month, Llyr Gruffydd, the minister responsible for agriculture, said there was a need to “look at a range of solutions”.
He said the “picture varies from farm to farm” and that a “wide range of options” were being considered. His comments came as the Welsh government announced the extension of two projects aiming to eradicate bovine TB. The project began as a pilot scheme introduced in two areas – Pembrokeshire, where there is a very high number of TB cases, and parts of north Wales – but there was no intention to expand this to other areas. In August 2024, a new board was established by the government to try to eliminate the disease.
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