Originally from: Mary Critchley
                        
Bill

Where did you get the notion that the tests don't work well?

Are you referring to the fact that the tests that exist haven't yet been validated – or do you know something that my scientific and veterinary correspondents don't?

"The main opposition that we have encountered to the use of vaccination is that the non structural protein test, used to distinguish between response to vaccine as opposed to response to infection, has not yet been fully validated to the guidelines of the OIE.
Intervet have now introduced a 3ABC marker test which is capable of differentiating between response to vaccination and response to viral challenge. This has been extensively tested and trialled and provides a definitive tool to differentiate between those animals that have responded to vaccination or viral challenge, for use at herd level. We understand that this test is now ready for submission to the OIE for validation. Merial have also produced a similar test and had the test independently assessed although the test is a 'described' test, but it is not yet 'proscribed', as it has not yet been validated.
United Bio-Medical (UBI) have also developed a range of similar tests and state: "The complete UBI NS test system has a specificity approaching 100% on vaccinated livestock. We believe that our system has sufficient sensitivity and specificity to detect evidence of infection in vaccinated herds (eg, potentially infectious carrier animals if they truly exist) while distinguishing the antibody response to infection from the response to vaccination."

Please do have a look at http://www.warmwell.com/fmdvaccination.html and then get back to me if you have opposing factual information. Your statement will be alarming many who want to see vaccination to live instead of the wholescale and largely needless slaughter of 2001

Regards
Mary