Social Science study to accompany the Badger Vaccine Deployment Project
This social science study aims to assess the level of farmer confidence in the use of vaccination before, during and after vaccine deployment, and is part of the Government's Bovine TB Badger Vaccine Deployment Project (BVDP). It will also identify motivators and barriers that could influence the future use of TB vaccines.
The research is being funded with a grant of just over £630,000 from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), for an initial period of four years, and is led by the CCRI, with support from colleagues at Exeter and Cardiff Universities, Drew Associates Limited, the Veterinary Laboratories Agency and the Food and Environment Research Agency.
In the CCRI, Dr. Damian Maye is leading the project, with support from Professor Brian Ilbery, Dr. James Kirwan and Dr. Pete Gaskell.
Bovine TB is a complex animal disease affecting farmed cattle and badgers. The disease can seriously affect the livelihood of farmers, both in terms of the economics of livestock production and increased stress levels brought about by TB testing and the potential farm business impacts the disease might have. In England, vaccination of either cattle and/or wildlife is an important long-term policy to help reduce the impact of bovine TB. The aim of the BVDP, which is due to be launched in the summer of 2010, is to vaccinate badgers in six different locations with high incidence of bovine TB. Farms representing an equivalent of 100km2 will be recruited in each area. The areas chosen for the vaccination project are in Staffordshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire and Devon.
The social science research study will provide an in-depth and culturally sensitive analysis of the BVDP. Both quantitative and qualitative information will be collected through the use of telephone surveys, face-to-face interviews, observations and shadowing.
The project outputs will primarily benefit Defra policy makers, but will also be of real significance to a wide range of stakeholder organisations, individual cattle farmers, veterinarians and animal health officers.
The full team carrying out the 'Social science study to accompany the Badger Vaccine Deployment Project' is: Dr Damian Maye, Professor Brian Ilbery, Dr James Kirwan and Dr Peter Gaskell, (all CCRI); Professor Chris Gaskell and Dr Will Manley (The Royal Agricultural College and CCRI associates); Gareth Enticott (Cardiff University), Martin Turner (University of Exeter) and researchers from Drew Associates Limited. Staff from the Veterinary Laboratories Agency and the Food and Environment Research Agency will also provide inputs.
Stop press 24 June 2010
The new Government has reviewed the planned Badger Vaccine Deployment Project (BVDP), and ministers have decided that vaccination will only proceed in the area near Stroud, Gloucestershire, beginning in July for five years.
See http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/diseases/atoz/tb/vaccination/bvdp.htm
