Badger Culling Vs. Vaccination.

In an article published by the BBC, badgers in the UK have been carrying TB very consistently. These badgers are very common in the UK and are affecting the cattle populations and transmitting TB to them through bites, and getting into food sources ect.
Luckily, scientists have found an injectable vaccine that is safe on humans, and is also effective in vaccinating badgers. Previously, people have been killing a lot of the badgers due to TB, but with this vaccine, culling is less necessary and they can simply get the vaccination. In a trial, there was a 74% decrease in the rate of TB in badgers once the vaccinations took place.
The only problem is that right now the only way that they can produce the vaccine is injectable. Officials say that it won't be an effective method until the badgers can get the vaccination in a way that they can eat it. Therefore the culling will not stop. It could take over five years for a consumable alternative to be ready for the badgers. I feel like if there is a vaccine that works, people should be using it rather than simply culling the animals, but the government thinks that it would be too expensive to pay for the project and the cattle could still be at risk. I personally feel like this is a pretty high price to pay for cows, but it is good that there is a vaccine and that scientists are working on manufacturing it in a way that will vaccinate against TB and be consumable so that the culling can be stopped.

Leah Salloway