Alexander Alexiev: Mass vaccination will destroy the backbone of sheep farming

On September 15, representatives of 80 sheep farms and associations, raising nearly 90 thousand sheep in Bulgaria, requested that their voices be heard on the topic of "vaccination against the deadly disease sheep pox." This topic has so far been predominantly discussed by representatives who are "for" the health intervention, including veterinary experts and representatives of two of the largest sheep industry organizations – the National Sheep and Goat Association (NOKA) and "United Bulgarian Livestock Farmers." However, following yesterday's declaration (see the full text), it is now time to give a voice to those sheep and goat farmers whose herds have not yet been infected with the dangerous disease and for whom the introduction of mass vaccination in the country would mean economic collapse. Because these farms are "the backbone of the domestic sheep industry and each of them raises over a thousand animals, with their herds collectively providing between 5 and 25 percent of ...