There are 50 million doses of foot and mouth vaccine stocked in the EU and ready for use. There are four types of virus so there are different types of vaccine to suit. The UK has the virulent type O, the vaccine to which works very well and protects cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and deer from getting the disease so to many people it seems the logical option.
Vaccination is regarded as a policy of last resort.
In the long run it would be costly because we would lose export markets as confidence in UK produce would plummet. Once vaccination is carried out it has to be repeated for new generations. Some animals still carry the virus although they show no symptoms and the countries who use it cease to be regarded as disease-free. Under international rules countries which vaccinate cannot export live animals and meat products to foot and mouth free countries because they carry the danger of infection. They met yesterday in Brussels and decided that the UK was coping and that the existing policy of slaughtering all animals would eradicate the disease.