Defra has announced that the Bluetongue Protection Zone will be extended again on Monday 14 July, following the delivery by Intervet of over 2 million additional doses of Bluetongue vaccine.

Vaccination is only permitted within the Protection Zone. In accordance with the Bluetongue vaccination plan, the Protection Zone will be extended to cover the District of Selby, the Unitary Authority of York, West Yorkshire (made up of the metropolitan boroughs of Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield), Derbyshire (including Derby), Staffordshire (including Stoke-on-Trent) and West Midlands (made up of the metropolitan boroughs of Birmingham, Coventry, Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall). The vaccination will continue to be rolled out as vaccine is delivered, in line with the vaccination roll-out plan.

The additional vaccine is now available for use in the existing Protection Zone. Livestock keepers in the areas coming into the Protection Zone will be able to obtain the vaccine from Monday. However, they are encouraged to order vaccine so that they can protect their livestock at the earliest opportunity. 

Protection Zone restrictions will apply to those keepers coming into the extended zone. Animals can only be moved out of the Protection Zone if they are vaccinated, naturally immune or moving for slaughter, subject to meeting certain conditions.