Through the publication today of the Statement of Intent on UK Veterinary Vaccine Availability, the VMD has demonstrated a commitment to working alongside the agricultural sector to support farmers having access to the vaccines they need.

We, alongside our sibling organisation, RUMA CA&E and many other stakeholders, are proud to have contributed to this strategic framework and look forward to working with the VMD on a five-year multi-stakeholder UK action plan that will turn these ambitions into reality.

Veterinary vaccine availability is critical for ensuring our food supply remains resilient to the threat of animal disease outbreaks. We recently carried out our own vaccines survey to build a picture of what supply challenges each sector has been facing, and the short and long term impacts of these disruption issues and will be sharing the results at a webinar in November: RUMA Agriculture Webinar Conference- November 2025 – RUMA.

Find out more about the announcement: Government publishes framework to strengthen UK veterinary vaccine availability

Reacting to the release of the Statement of Intent on UK Veterinary Vaccine Availability, Cat McLaughlin, RUMA Agriculture Chair, says: “Vaccine shortages and disruption to supply has been a source of great worry for our Alliance members in recent years and we have been working hard on their behalf to highlight these concerns and ensure action is being taken.

“We know this is a complex area with many variables at play and vaccine availability is not something that can be solved overnight. RUMA Agriculture, alongside many other industry stakeholders has contributed to a number of meetings held by the VMD over the past year to address the concerns around the shortage of vaccines and we look forward to continuing to work with the VMD on a vaccines five-year multi-stakeholder UK action plan.

“Delays in vaccinations can lead to an increased risk of disease outbreaks which in turn can lead to an increased use of medicines such as antibiotics to treat animals. Disruption in supply can be a source of much worry for both animal owners, SQPs and veterinary practices who are working hard to maintain the high standards of animal welfare that the UK is known for.”