Warning over buying and selling second-hand bluetongue vaccines
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.