600,000 sheep to be vaccinated 15/05/2008 00:00

The Federal Agriculture Minister launched the blue tongue vaccination campaign of Wednesday.

15 May 2008

BELGIUM - The Federal Government launched a campaign Wednesday to inoculate farm animals against blue tongue virus on Wednesday.

The first stage of the campaign will see 600,000 sheep vaccinated.

Later, cows on farms across Belgium will be given injections to protect them from the virus.

The vaccines for Belgium's cows should be ready by the end of the month.

The vaccination of sheep and cows against blue tongue virus will be financed by the Federal Government and the European Union.

It was the Federal Agriculture Minister Sabine Laruelle that launched the campaign at a farm in Floreffe in the Namur province.

In 2007, 20,000 sheep and 15,000 cows died as a result of the blue tongue virus. The virus has caused a great deal of economic damage to Belgian agriculture.

[flandersenews.be / Expatica]