Vaccination Strategies for Disease Prevention in Livestock Populations
Vaccination is a vital part of preventative health management for livestock, working alongside biosecurity and nutrition to prevent or control disease on farms. Effective vaccination strategies are key to maintaining animal health and welfare while supporting sustainable farming practices.
Key Considerations for Developing a Vaccination Strategy
- Identify Risks Determine which infections pose a risk to the farm.
- Identify At-Risk Groups Determine which groups of animals are most at risk of infection. Newborns are often best protected by colostrum.
- Timing Consider when to vaccinate to protect animals from clinical disease, often as maternal antibodies decline and before exposure. Vaccinate prior to breeding to protect against subclinical infection causing reproductive or fetal losses.
- Frequency How often to vaccinate depends on the vaccine type and farm operation.
- Veterinarian Consultation Recommendations should come from veterinarians working closely with the farm and tailored to specific needs.
Types of Vaccination Strategies
- Barrier Vaccination: Vaccination in an area along the border of an infected zone to prevent the spread of infection.
- Blanket Vaccination: Vaccination of all susceptible animals in an area.
- Ring Vaccination: Vaccination of all susceptible animals in a delineated area surrounding the location where an outbreak has occurred.
- Targeted Vaccination: Vaccination of a subpopulation of susceptible animals.