Too few doses of bluetongue vaccine until the end of May, LTO reports

According to an LTO spokesperson, scarcity is “a relative concept”. It is not known how large the shortage is.

Because there are not enough doses, sheep, rare breeds and animals on farms with a public function, such as petting zoos, are given priority for vaccination, LTO has determined together with other sector organizations and Utrecht University.

One vaccination

Sheep come first because the animals suffer more serious complaints if they are infected with the bluetongue virus and die from it more often than cattle. Moreover, sheep only need one vaccination and cattle two, with a few weeks apart.

Tens of thousands of sheep died last year when they were infected with the bluetongue virus by midges. These are small mosquitoes that return when it gets warmer. “There are approximately 800,000 to 1 million sheep in the Netherlands. They are at the greatest risk and can and will therefore be vaccinated first,” the spokesperson says. After May, he says, other animals at risk can also be vaccinated.

The spokesperson further states that possible infections are not expected to occur until after May. “Some midges are currently active, but no active infestation has yet been observed,” he says.