The UK government formally adopted a long-term strategy on Thursday 5 November 2026 aimed at eradicating bovine TB from England by 2038, according to a Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs press release. The plan, first published in June and developed with farmers, vets and scientists, includes developing vaccines for cattle and badgers, mandatory blood tests, wider wildlife surveillance and more testing options.

Officials reported progress against the disease: new TB herd breakdowns in England fell by a fifth compared with the previous 12 months, and 2026 was the first year in more than a decade with no badgers culled to control the disease. The percentage of herds under restriction due to a TB incident was 3.4% at the end of June 2026, compared with 4.2% a year earlier. The 12-month total of cattle removed for TB control in England was 20,244 in the period ending June 2026, a 4% decrease from 21,126 a year earlier; the historical maximum was 34,518 in the 12 months ending April 2018.

Work underway includes developing a deployable cattle vaccine with a companion skin test, with an ambition to deploy cattle vaccination by 2030; expanding government-funded mandatory blood testing and piloting privately funded testing; rolling out badger vaccination in priority areas; and a new government-funded scheme to test found dead badgers. A new industry-government board, expected in 2027, will replace the existing Bovine TB Partnership for England and consider the first delivery plan.