Pigs are particularly unpredictable and vaccination does not work if the animal is already infected. That would be impossible, given that there are 60m cattle, sheep and pigs in Britain, not to mention a million deer and countless other wild animals which can contract or carry the disease. Animals within the cordon sanitaire would be vaccinated, and slaughtered later if necessary, when the disease is under control. It is expensive. Scientists have suggested that initially 180,000 animals, in Devon and Cumbria, should be vaccinated against the disease.
Treatment also needs to be repeated every six months, and given to each new generation of animals.
The adoption of vaccination as a policy is a tacit admission that foot and mouth has not been eradicated. Their main argument is that it is impossible to distinguish between vaccinated animals and those with the disease. However, according to EU rules, a limited vaccination programme would mean a 12-month ban on exports, not a permanent one. There is a total ban on export of meat and live animals, so long as the disease persists. That is why most farmers favour drastic action to end the crisis as quickly as possible.