Creuse in shortage of vaccines, the FDSEA denounces “a lack of anticipation on the part of the State”

In Creuse, farmers are facing a shortage of vaccines against bluetongue, while the epidemic has hit the department's sheep and cattle herds hard for several months.

For around ten days, it has become very difficult to obtain vaccines to protect animals against bluetongue, denounce the FDSEA and the Young Farmers of the department on “ici Creuse” Thursday January 23. According to Christian Arvis, the president of the FDSEA in Creuse, all serotypes, that is to say variants of the disease, are concerned. The FDSEA and the Young Farmers met urgently with state services on Wednesday to discuss the subject.

Christian Arvis denounces “a lack of anticipation on the part of the State”. On the one hand, the authorities consider the bluetongue epidemic serious enough to make vaccination free against serotype FCO 3, a variant which emerged this year. The first case in Creuse was identified last month near Gouzon, about thirty kilometers east of Guéret. On the other hand, stocks are not keeping up. Since January 13, free vaccines are no longer available. The president of the FDSEA explains that breeders can turn to paid vaccines, but according to him, they have no information on their delivery date.

Vaccines against other variants are also in short supply: it is becoming very difficult to find doses against FCO 4 and FCO 8. However, the consequences could be significant: these diseases are regulated for animals for export. Countries that purchase Creuse cattle (cattle) require that they be vaccinated against these variants. “We may find ourselves with a gap in the trade where we will no longer be able to supply properly vaccinated grazing animals to meet market demand,” summarizes Christian Arvis, who fears a significant shortfall for Creuse breeders.