A GLIMMER of hope last night emerged among farmers fortunate to have so far escaped foot-and-mouth as Agriculture Minister Nick Brown hinted that a limited programme of vaccinations might be on the way.
He promised to consult fully with farmers before pressing ahead with inoculations for cattle in disease "hotspots".
Mr Brown confirmed ministers were looking at proposals by Government scientists to inoculate cattle currently in winter barns in Cumbria before they are moved out to their spring pastures.
The disclosure that vaccination was again a "live issue" in Whitehall came after three new cases were confirmed in County Durham between Friday evening and last night.
High House Farm, in Brafferton, on the edge of Darlington, was among them.
Devastated farmer Tony Swinbank has lost 114 cattle and almost 500 sheep, including lambs.
Animals on the five neighbouring farms have also been slaughtered in a continued effort to reduce the spread of the disease.
And as a further indication of how for every officially confirmed case many more lives are devastated, it emerged last night that a single outbreak of foot-and-mouth, confirmed on Good Friday at Tunstall, near Richmond, North Yorkshire, has sparked culls on as many as up to 30 neighbouring farms.
Two massive pyres were being constructed last night.
Fourteen new cases were reported across the country in the 24 hours to 7pm yesterday, bringing the grim total to 1,320.
Meanwhile, Mr Brown acknowledged there were misgivings among farmers that vaccination would only delay Britain regaining its foot-and-mouth-free status and the resumption of meat and milk exports, and could even prolong the outbreak.
A paper released yesterday by the Scientific Committee on Foot-and-Mouth, chaired by the Government's chief scientific advisor, Professor David King, argued there were potential advantages to inoculating cattle still housed in barns.
Experience from the 1967 epidemic suggested that once the cattle were out in the open, the risk of infection would be about twice as high as it was when they were inside.
But if they were vaccinated, not only would they be "protected" from the disease themselves, they should also not then go on to spread it to other livestock.
"So as well as protecting the cattle it would reduce the potential level of infectivity in the area," the report said.
Mr Brown indicated the programme could also include Devon, but did not elaborate on whether the measure would extend to other parts of the country, such as County Durham - England's fourth worst-hit county.
He said that if vaccination was used, the animals would not subsequently be slaughtered, even though they would be carrying the foot-and-mouth antibodies which would affect Britain regaining its disease-free status.
Government sources indicated that the need to move the cattle out to pasture meant a decision would be needed within the next ten to 14 days.
Officials denied vaccination would represent a policy U-turn, insisting it had always been one of the options available.
Read more about Foot-and-Mouth here.
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