ANNEX XCRITERIA FOR THE DECISION TO APPLY PROTECTIVE VACCINATION AND GUIDELINES FOR THE EMERGENCY VACCINATION PROGRAMMES

1.Criteria for the decision to apply protective vaccination46

Criteria

Decision

For vaccination

Against vaccination

Population density of susceptible animals

High

Low

Predominant species clinically affected

pigs

ruminants

Movement of potentially infected animals or products out of the protection zone

Evidence

No evidence

Predicted airborne spread of virus from infected holdings

High

Low or absent

Suitable vaccine

Available

Not available

Origin of outbreaks (traceability)

Unknown

Known

Incidence slope of outbreaks

Rising rapidly

Shallow or slow rise

Distribution of outbreaks

Widespread

Restricted

Public reaction to total stamping out policy

Strong

Weak

Acceptance of regionalisation after vaccination

Yes

No

2.Additional criteria for the decision to introduce emergency vaccination

Criteria

Decision

For vaccination

Against vaccination

Acceptance of regionalisation by third countries

known

unknown

Economic assessment of competing control strategies

If it is foreseeable that a control strategy without emergency vaccination would lead to significantly higher economic losses in the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors

If it is foreseeable that a control strategy with emergency vaccination would lead to significantly higher economic losses in the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors

It is foreseeable that the 24/48 hours rule cannot be implemented effectively for two consecutive days47

Yes

No

Significant social and psychological impact of total stamping out policy

Yes

No

Existence of large holdings of intensive livestock production in a non-densely populated livestock area

Yes

No

24/48 hours rule means:

  1. (a)

    infected herds on holdings referred to in Article 10 cannot be stamped out within 24 hours after the confirmation of the disease, and

  2. (b)

    the pre-emptive killing of animals likely to be infected or contaminated cannot be safely carried out within less than 48 hours.

3.Definition of Densely Populated Livestock Areas (DPLAs)

3.1.

When deciding about the measures to be taken in application of this Directive, and in particular the measures provided for in Article 52(2), Member States shall in addition to a thorough epidemiological assessment consider the definitions of DPLAs as provided for in point 3.2. or where applicable as provided for in Article 2(u) of Directive 2001/89/EC and use the definition which is the more stringent.

The definition may be modified in the light of new scientific evidence in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 89(2).

3.2.Animals of susceptible species

In the case of animals of susceptible species a DPLA shall be a geographical area, with a radius of 10 km around a holding containing animals of susceptible species suspected of or infected with foot-and-mouth disease, where there is a density of animals of susceptible species higher than 1 000 head per km2. The holding in question must be situated either in a sub-region as defined in Article 2(s) where there is a density of animals of susceptible species higher than 450 head per km2 or at a distance of less than 20 km from such a sub-region.