France mobilizes army, flies vaccines to halt lumpy skin outbreak

French authorities mobilized military personnel and emergency vaccine shipments on December 18 to accelerate a mass vaccination campaign against lumpy skin disease in cattle, amid a wave of protests by farmers in the country south. Army veterinarians and soldiers were dispatched to assist civilian veterinary teams, with operations underway in southwestern regions including Toulouse, as aircraft delivered hundreds of thousands of vaccine doses to the affected area.

Officials outlined two overlapping vaccination targets. Military assistance is focused on delivering shots to roughly 750,000 cows, while Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard set a broader goal on local radio ICI of vaccinating nearly 1,000,000 animals in the coming weeks. The differing figures reflect the scale of a rapid escalation in operations and the logistical challenge of reaching dispersed herds across multiple departments.

Lumpy skin disease is a highly contagious viral illness that can cause disfiguring lesions and decreased productivity in cattle. Authorities have ordered culls in zones where the virus is detected, a measure that has inflamed farmers who say whole herds are being slaughtered in response to isolated infections. Agriculture Ministry data shows 110 confirmed outbreaks across nine departments since the first case on June 29, and approximately 3,000 animals have been culled so far. The government has paid nearly 6 million euros in compensation to affected producers.

Farmer unrest has grown in recent days, with protesters blocking major roads, dumping manure near public buildings and staging demonstrations to denounce what they call disproportionate culls and an erosion of their livelihoods. Many farmers frame the disease response within a broader grievance over long term pressures on French agriculture, including competition from abroad and what they see as excessive regulation.

The government has framed the military deployment and vaccine airlifts as emergency measures to halt the spread of the disease and to reduce the risk of disruptive protests during the year end period. Minister Genevard pledged state support for those affected, saying that "the state will stand by affected farmers, their losses will be compensated as well as their operating losses." President Emmanuel Macron used the moment to reiterate his stance on trade, saying he would not endorse an EU trade deal with the Mercosur bloc unless stronger safeguards for European farmers are included.

Significant questions remain about implementation. Authorities have yet to confirm a single definitive vaccination timeline or the full list of prioritized departments, and the exact number of defense personnel involved in the operation has not been released. The outcome of the campaign will determine whether the outbreak is contained without further large scale culls, and it will test the government ability to restore confidence among farmers already grappling with economic strain and political frustration.