Director General Fernando Fernández explains that 50,000 doses have been obtained, ‘which means that vaccination can begin on 11 November, a month earlier than planned’.

The Regional Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment has announced today that the start of the vaccination campaign against bluetongue will begin on 11 November after obtaining 50,000 doses to combat this disease in its serotype 8 variant, which is more aggressive and has a higher mortality rate than serotype 4, which was responsible for the bluetongue epidemic declared in the Balearic Islands between 2021 and 2023. The director general of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development, Fernando Fernández, explains that ‘this arrival of vaccines has been possible thanks to the intense work that this Conselleria has done from the beginning and the contacts that have been maintained from day one. This has allowed the Syva laboratory to offer us a first batch, which has allowed us to move the campaign forward by a month and thus alleviate the situation of the herd and allow the livestock to start moving without restrictions.

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Agriculture obtains the first 50,000 doses of bluetongue vaccine and the vaccination campaign is brought forward by one month

In this sense, the administration of these first 50,000 doses will be carried out according to the criteria of the Directorate General of Agriculture, Livestock and Rural Development, taking into account the areas of higher and lower prevalence of the disease and the most effective technical criteria to try to put barriers to the spread of the disease. ‘The criteria for the distribution of these vaccines will be shared with the livestock sector at the Animal Health meeting scheduled for 4 November,’ stressed Fernández. However, the initial proposal is to vaccinate all farms with declared outbreaks, to improve the situation of their animals and thus facilitate their movements after vaccination. In a second round, on farms located within a radius of 5 kilometres of the first, to contain the spread of the disease. ‘A quantity of 7,000 doses will also be set aside to attend to the movements of live cattle leaving the typing centres, fatteners and cooperatives,’ explained Fernández.

Update on outbreaks

According to the latest data available to the Conselleria, there are 200 confirmed outbreaks of bluetongue disease in the archipelago.

In Mallorca, the farms affected by the disease are in the municipalities of Santanyí (11); Calvià and Selva (10); Sóller (9 outbreaks); Deià, Pollença and Alaró (8); Felanitx and Palma (7); Bunyola, Fornalutx and Inca (6); Andratx, Campanet, Maria de la Salut and Estellencs (5); Binissalem, Artà, Lloseta, Llucmajor, Sineu and Valldemossa (4); Escorca, Llubí and Santa Maria (3); Alcúdia, Ariany, Capdepera, Consell, Esporles, Santa Margalida, Marratxí, Sencelles and Ses Salines (2) and Búger, Campos, Lloret de Vistalegre, Mancor de la Vall, Puigpunyent, sa Pobla, Sant Llorenç and Son Servera, with 1 outbreak in each municipality.

In Minorca, there are 8 confirmed outbreaks in Ciutadella, 4 in Alaior, Es Migjorn Gran and Es Mercadal and 3 outbreaks in Ferreries. In Eivissa, there are two confirmed outbreaks in Sant Joan de Labritja.

In addition, there are another 5 possible cases in total in the Balearic Islands, pending the results of the samples.

Meeting with the sector

It should be remembered that next Monday, 4 November, an Animal Health meeting has been convened in which representatives of agricultural associations, cooperatives and livestock health defence groups (ADS) will participate with their veterinarians. Among the issues to be discussed, are the flexibility of the Protocol for Livestock Movements when they go to slaughter within the geographical area declared as affected in the Balearic Islands; the organization of the general vaccination campaign for bluetongue 2024-2025 and the line of de minimis aid for the vaccination campaign.

At the meeting, some very specific decisions will also be put to the sector regarding the advance of bluetongue serotype 3 and epizootic haemorrhagic disease, which seriously affects cattle. It should be remembered that the Balearic Islands are the only autonomous community that is currently free of this disease.