The Union of Professional Veterinarians (UPV) strongly advises breeders to contact their veterinarians to schedule vaccinations, order vaccines in advance, and record any injections already given against bluetongue and epizootic haemorrhagic disease.
The vaccination campaign will commence upon the publication of the legislation in the Belgian Official Gazette, expected in early 2025. From that date, cattle and sheep born before 1 January 2025 will need to be vaccinated against bluetongue, also known as blue tongue disease. Cattle will also require vaccinations against epizootic haemorrhagic disease (EHD).
Animals will be considered vaccinated once they have received all initial vaccinations as per the manufacturer’s instructions by 1 June 2025, and these vaccinations are recorded in Sanitel, the UPV clarified.
A subsidy of €23.5 per cow and €7 per sheep will be available for animals fully vaccinated before 1 June 2025. Additionally, a subsidy for facilitating mandatory vaccination will provide €75 per cattle herd and €50 per sheep flock.
“This vaccination campaign aims to protect your animals, the profitability of your farming operations, and to maintain the competitiveness of agricultural sectors,” veterinarians remind breeders. “It’s better to prevent than endure,” they conclude.
