Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of supplies of the Cevac Chlamydia vaccine.

The production of veterinary medicines is complex and highly regulated, and materials and processes must meet rigorous safety and quality standards. Manufacturers can experience difficulties from time-to-time for various reasons, from malfunctioning equipment on the production line, to packaging materials that fail to meet the required specification. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) liaises closely with pharmaceutical companies and distributors of medicines to detect potential problems at the earliest point possible in order to support the continued availability of veterinary medicines where possible.

In regards to availability of Cevac Chlamydia vaccine, the VMD understand there to be sufficient supply to meet the current national demand, and are in close liaison with the Marketing Authorisation Holder should this status change. As always, to avoid placing undue pressure on supply chains, we encourage veterinary surgeons to continue with normal ordering patterns and to maintain appropriate and proportionate stocks of veterinary medicines.