Bovine Tuberculosis: Vaccination
(asked on 6th July 2026) - View Source
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they are (1) developing, or (2) supporting the development of, a vaccine to prevent tuberculosis in cattle; and if not, why not.
Answered by
Baroness Hayman of Ullock
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)
This Government is actively supporting the development of a CattleBCG vaccine to help protect cattle against bovine TB. Government-funded field trials of the CattleBCG vaccine and companion Detect Infected amongst Vaccinated Animals (DIVA) skin test have been running since 2021, with the final planned phase now underway and due to complete by 2027. Evidence from these trials is supporting the regulatory process needed for future deployment. This Government remains committed to progressing cattle vaccination as an important component of long-term bovine TB control.
The recently published recommended Bovine TB Control Strategy for England (https://tbhub.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/2026-Recommended-Bovine-TB-Strategy.pdf) (see attached) sets a clear ambition to deploy a cattle vaccine and DIVA test by 2030. This Government will now carefully consider the recommendations in the proposed strategy.