Animal keepers are being urged not to buy, sell or exchange
leftover bluetongue serotype 3 (BTV-3) vaccines through online
marketplaces, social media platforms or private arrangements.
Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) enforcement officers have
received reports of animal keepers buying, selling and exchanging
BTV-3 vaccines through social media platforms. The sale or
transfer of surplus vaccine presents significant risks to animal
health. Once a product leaves the authorised supply chain, there
can be no guarantee that it has been stored, handled or
transported correctly, potentially affecting its quality, safety
and effectiveness.
BTV-3 vaccines are prescription-only veterinary medicines and are
subject to strict legal controls. Animal owners cannot legally
supply a veterinary medicine to another animal owner, even if
that medicine has been prescribed by a veterinary surgeon for the
recipient.
Animal keepers have been taking action to vaccinate their animals
against BTV-3 and we encourage keepers to continue to do
this. We want to ensure you have access to vaccines that are
effective and safe. This guidance will help you find safe and
legal sources and understand what to do if you spot any
suspicious listings.
Sourcing BTV-3 vaccines
To access safe and legal sources of BTV-3 vaccines animal keepers
should first discuss with their vet if BTV-3 vaccination is
right for your animals.
If animal keepers are buying vaccines online, they should ensure
they have a valid prescription from a vet and only purchase from
a registered online retailer authorised to sell prescription-only
veterinary medicines.
You can verify whether a website is authorised to sell animal
medicines, by checking the VMD's register
of online retailers.
More details on the rules for reporting BTV-3 vaccinations and
keeping records is available on the BTV-3 vaccination
page.
Splitting BTV-3 vaccine bottles
Questions have also been raised about the practice of splitting
vaccine bottles.
Veterinary surgeons may administer BTV-3 vaccine from a single
bottle to animals belonging to different owners, as long as the
bottle is stored correctly at all times and is not used beyond
the broach/expiry period. For BTV-3 vaccines, the broach period
is 10 hours after first opening the immediate packaging, as
stated in the Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC). Links to
the relevant product information can be found on Bluetongue serotype 3
(BTV-3) vaccination - GOV.UK. Due to biosecurity concerns, in
particular as BTV-3 is a blood borne disease, we would urge
caution should such an approach be taken. It is the decision of
the prescribing vet.
Veterinary surgeons may also decant prescribed quantities of
vaccine for administration by an animal keeper. In these
circumstances, the vaccine must be supplied and administered
within the permitted broach period and the vet must ensure the
container is appropriately labelled, sufficient written
information is provided for safe use (such as a copy of the SPC
or the package leaflet), and records are kept of where and how
much product has been administered.
However, animal keepers must not pass on, sell or otherwise
supply vaccine to other keepers. Doing so is unlawful and
bypasses the safeguards that exist to protect animal health and
maintain confidence in veterinary medicines.
The VMD also advises caution when medicines are opened or
decanted. Such practices can increase the risk of product
degradation and may affect vaccine quality, safety and efficacy.
As BTV-3 is a blood-borne disease, biosecurity considerations
should also be carefully assessed when using vaccine from a
bottle that is intended for multiple holdings.
Animal keepers should always obtain bluetongue vaccines through
their veterinary surgeon and follow professional advice on their
safe and lawful use.
What to do with leftover vaccines
If you are an animal keeper with leftover vaccine you should
return the medication back to your veterinary practice or
veterinary surgeon for appropriate disposal.
Reporting illegal sales of BTV-3
We encourage everyone to report any potential illegal online
listings of BTV-3 vaccines to us via our online reporting tool
available on Report illegal animal
medicines - GOV.UK. You can also choose to report anonymously
or over the phone: 01932 338 338.
Notes
More details on vaccination for BTV-3, including on the rules for
use of these vaccines and advice for veterinarians, can be found
on the BTV-3 vaccination
page.
