A promising vaccine for cattle TB has been pushed back until 2015 over cost concerns. The Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency has estimated the vaccine costs to potentially run into the tens of millions.
A consortium of scientists and companies have been contracted by Defra to develop the vaccine; it requires the Veterinary Medicines Directorate to grant an Animal Test Certificate for trials to begin. Triveritas will organise the trials and create a DIVA test to help identify immunised cows and infected cows.
The AHVLA remains confident that trials will start next year. It warned, however, that they would depend on "were likely to depend upon a positive cost analysis of the use of a cattle vaccine and DIVA test contributing to the control of bovine TB in the UK."