Originally from: frances fish
                        
Well, and there's me thinking that we already had good vaccines against FMD, and that it IS possible to differenciate between vaccinated animals and those with the disease ! How do I know this ? FMD experts have been kind enough to educate us in this respect by posting on Warmwell. It would seem that we now know too much about the subject and it will take a whole lot of sheep to be sheared to provide enough wool to pull over our eyes now. I have little doubt that vaccines can be improved and the same with dianostic tests. BUT, and it is a gigantic BUT, we, as they say, have the technology NOW to tackle FMD in a more humane, compassionate and, from some people's point of view, economic fashion. What we truly want is for what happened in 2001 never to happen again. We cannot wait 5 years for the "scientists" to tuck in their shirt-tail so it is all tidy. Look what some so called "scientists" produced with their flawed models ? Of course, we must remember that these particular individuals knew nothing (and I suspect, still are ignorant ) of FMD. I believe the study was based on a human sexually transmitted disease. By all means improve on what we have but we do not want vaccination and rapid testing sidelined for politcal purposes. This has Nothing to do with animal health or their welfare and it jolly well should have. Frances