Video 17 Getting bang for our buck with vaccines
Background
As the world hunts for a vaccine for Covid 19, we are all learning how vital these medicines can be. Where you have large populations of animals or humans vaccines can be vital tools in the battle to prevent disease spread.
Did you know the word vaccine comes from the word “Vacca” which is Latin for cow? The first vaccine ever used was cowpox virus was used by Edward Jenner in 1796 to confer immunity against the deadly smallpox virus. This began the idea of vaccines and their role in helping medicine evolve.
In all farming systems when we are tackling infectious disease we must always try and reduce infection pressure and maximize immunity.
Reducing infection pressure in simple terms is reducing the amount of an infection present. Better hygiene in farming systems is a very good example of how we might do this.
Vaccines work by stimulating and promoting immunity against certain pathogens.
The immune system will fight infections and help animals overcome infections. Vaccines work by stimulating the memory of disease without actually causing the disease. When the real disease is encountered the animal can then fight with a more specific and sustained immune response.
Watch the video above where I talk about vaccinations
While we can’t vaccinate against every disease. We must look at risk assessments and see what diseases are present and what vaccines may help.
This can be done simply by recording disease and looking at what we are treating animals for. We can also utilize diagnostics like blood, milks, post mortems, faecal samples or swabs. We can use this information and then look at the cost-benefit of vaccination.
We also need to realize that vaccination is important even where we see no clinical disease, they will act like insurance policies to mitigate the risk of costly infectious disease. They also play a very key role in our need to reduce the usage of antibiotics in farm animal systems.
When we do use vaccines we must make sure we use them correctly to get the best results.
Here are some tips to get the best results from vaccines
- Where ever possible in disease outbreaks utilize diagnostics to see what pathogens are present
- When using vaccines it is essential they are stored correctly. Most of these products require cold storage and are to be stored at a specific temperature range usually 2-6 degrees Celsius
- Always use clean needles when injecting vaccines. Any dirt that gets into vaccines may affect the efficacy of the vaccine
- Administer them correctly by the correct route. Always read the label around safety and administration.
- Time your vaccines correctly. We need vaccines to stimulate immunity. With any vaccine that immunity will only last a specific length of time. We want to time our vaccines so the peak immune response is around peak risk time
- For the most effective results give vaccines to healthy animals and use the correct volume and number of doses required. With dead vaccines, this often means two injections 3-4 weeks apart. It is only after the second injection that proper immunity begins to develop
While farms can develop vaccine planners and dates with their vets around timing. These need to be reviewed regularly in accordance with any risks that may develop over time.
Vaccines work well once we use them correctly. They are not, however, a panacea to cover deficiencies in poor husbandry and management.
Thought for the day
Don’t underestimate the power of a good night’s rest. I must start taking my own advice by the way.
Huge thanks to Nettex/Progiene in helping support me in making this series for more information click the link here http://www.net-tex.co.uk
Happy safe farming