UK Warned It’s on Course to Fail in Efforts to Wipe Out Bovine TB

Published: 04 September 2025 | The English Chronicle Desk

The United Kingdom’s long-running battle to eliminate bovine tuberculosis (TB) in cattle is facing fresh scrutiny, as scientists warn that current efforts are unlikely to succeed without a significant increase in urgency and government funding. Controversy has long surrounded the strategy, particularly the use of badger culls to curb the transmission of TB from wildlife to cattle, a measure that has divided farmers, animal welfare groups, and policymakers alike.

The government has committed to ending badger culls by 2029 and shifting toward vaccination, with an ambitious goal of eradicating TB from English cattle herds by 2038. However, a new scientific review has cautioned that the strategy will only work if vaccination of badgers is accelerated and infection control within cattle herds is strengthened.

Professor Sir Charles Godfray, who led the government-commissioned review, highlighted the pressing need for action. “We’re obviously fully aware of the great pressures of the public finances at the moment. Nevertheless, we believe that investment in bovine TB control now will save money in the future,” he said, underlining the potential long-term benefits of proactive measures.

Bovine TB continues to have a devastating impact on British farming and wildlife. Over the past decade alone, 274,000 cattle in England have been compulsorily slaughtered, while more than 230,000 badgers have been culled since 2013. Compensation payments for slaughtered cattle reached almost £23 million last year. High-profile farmers, including television personality Jeremy Clarkson, have publicly shared their struggles, with Clarkson revealing that his farm at Diddly Squat had been affected by TB, leaving him and his staff “absolutely devastated.”

Scientific analysis indicates that while most cattle are infected by other animals within their own herds, the original source of TB is likely to be wildlife or the movement of infected cattle between farms. The switch from culling to vaccination will play a central role in the future strategy, though experts warn that implementing mass badger vaccination presents logistical and economic challenges. Professor Godfray explained: “Considerable effort will be required to scale up vaccination, so that it becomes viable, both economically and logistically.”

Alongside badger vaccination, improving biosecurity and testing to reduce cattle-to-cattle transmission remains critical. Hopes are now pinned on a cattle vaccine currently under evaluation by government veterinary regulators. Professor James Wood of the University of Cambridge, who also contributed to the review, stressed the potential impact of such a vaccine. “This is a very exciting advance, but we feel that greater urgency could be applied here. Cattle vaccination presents huge opportunities for protecting cattle and reducing transmission in herds,” he said.

Farming Minister Daniel Zeichner affirmed the government’s commitment to eradicating the disease, noting the scale of investment already made. “The government is determined to eradicate bovine TB—a devastating disease that destroys too many farmers’ livelihoods and has led to the culling of thousands of badgers. Following a record year for badger vaccination in 2024, a new Badger Vaccinator Field Force will be deployed next year. We are also developing a cattle vaccine and, along with the Scottish and Welsh governments, have invested over £40 million into vaccine-related research,” he said.

The government has confirmed it will consider the review’s findings, with a revised national strategy for eradicating bovine TB expected next year. Experts and farming communities alike will be watching closely, as the balance between wildlife protection, farming livelihoods, and public spending remains a delicate and contentious issue.