Farmers and their veterinarians make a lot of effort to select their yearly vaccination protocol.
The vaccines cost money, and effort is required to administer them. As a result, producers must maximize the immune response to receive the best protection for livestock.
This is good from both biosecurity and economic standpoints.
Diseases such as scours, pneumonia and abortions all affect the bottom line.
Preplanning and adhering to a few principles can assure that producers receive maximum benefit from the vaccination program.
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Gone are the days when farmers administered only the blackleg vaccine. This was a tough vaccine, and efficacy and immunity levels were high. It was hard to muck it up unless the vaccine had expired or been exposed to the elements.
However, producers now administer multiple vaccines, some of which are fragile and given in all types of weather. Extra care must be taken.
Producers should decide which diseases they are most concerned about and determine which vaccines provide protection with the fewest number of shots.
Multiple shots increase the chances of mistakes.
Producers should take precautionary steps when administering multiple vaccines to minimize chances of errors.
They should put the vaccines in a cooler or Styrofoam box to prevent overheating in summer and freezing in winter. Use ice packs in summer and warm water bottles in winter.
Depending on how hot or cold it is, even the syringe loaded with vaccine may have to be protected. Vaccines should ideally be five to 15 C before administration. They are going into animals with a 38 to 39 C temperature, so warmer is better than cooler. Vaccines that freeze or crystallize lose their value and must be discarded.
Storing vaccine in an insulated container also keeps the vaccine out of sunlight, which is also a good thing.
If more than one person is vaccinating, split the shots over both sides of the neck. Give subcutaneously whenever possible. It is imperative that the automatic guns aren’t mixed up during processing. Most vaccines are now a two cc dose, which means guns are often refilled at the same time and mix-ups can occur.
Let’s say a producer administers a blackleg vaccine, which often has formalin in the bacterin, and then refills the gun with a four-way modified live vaccine. Even a tiny amount
of blackleg vaccine left in the gun would inactivate the viral vaccine. The next full syringe of 25 doses would be useless.
To avoid this, I note the colour of the vaccine and mark the syringe with the vaccine name. I keep the refill bottles together with the vaccine gun and make a definite separation on the table or shelf if two or more shots are given on the same side.
There also needs to be separation at the site of injection. I recommend at least a 10 centimetre distance between injection sites, and the farther the better.
Administering the vaccines in distinct locations, such as one high on the neck and the other low, will also help producers monitor for vaccine reactions. The secondary site is behind the shoulder or elbow.
Sometimes there is lots of backflow of vaccine or the syringe goes in and out and squirts vaccine in the air. Revaccinate right away if in doubt.
Monitor vaccine use to make sure the gun is dispensing the right amount. Also, ensure that air is out of the syringe and always change bent, burred, dull or dirty needles every 10 or so animals.
Vaccine reactions, such as lumps and swellings, are normal. What we want to avoid are infected sites or administering the vaccine intradermal or intramuscular if it is recommended subcutaneously. Many vaccines can be administered either subcutaneously or intramuscular.
Use only warm water when cleaning syringes. Don’t use soap or disinfectant unless the syringes are thoroughly washed and dried afterward.
When using modified live vaccines, mix only the amount you are going to use in the next hour and discard unused product at the end of the day.
Killed vaccines and bacterins can be kept for one week and used up later.
It’s important to know how the vaccine was stored before purchase and during transportation home.
We send purchases home with ice packs in the summer and use only pharmaceutical suppliers we can trust. One problem in this supply chain can render vaccine inactive. Many producers bring in their coolers if buying large quantities of vaccine.
All these hints will help ensure the vaccines provide the best immune response possible.
