Defra officials have visited Ireland several times recently, to discuss the UK and Irish work programmes and areas of potential future collaboration, particularly regarding the design of badger field studies and licensing requirements for BCG. The Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) has active research links with Irish, New Zealand and United States researchers. The VLA is also collaborating in a Wellcome Trust funded project on vaccination of cattle with BCG in Ethiopia.
Also, Defra’s TB research programme, which includes a significant element of vaccines research, was reviewed this year and involved international experts.
Further information on the Defra vaccine research programme is available on the Defra website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/tb/research/vaccine.htm.