Rafter N Ranch, Inc
Vaccination Programs
Vaccination programs for cow herds are designed to protect animals in the herd
against disease caused by infectious organisms, such as viruses or bacteria.
Vaccines contain killed or modified live organisms which do not cause disease
but stimulate the animal's immune system to mount a response. The immune system
will then "remember" how to mount a response against the organism if it is
infected with that organism later. A vaccine cannot prevent infection but will
increase the animal's ability to throw off the infection or lessen the severity
of the disease.
The majority of cattle vaccines are injected, although some may be given by
other routes, such as intranasal or oral. Although antibiotics, such as
penicillin or tetracycline, are also often administered by injection, treating
an animal with one of those drugs is not a vaccination.
Types of Vaccines
Animal health product manufacturers go to great expense to obtain approval for
vaccines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They must prove that the
vaccine is safe and that it will do what the label claims it will do.
Although vaccine trade names can be confusing, the label will always specify
which diseases and microorganisms the vaccine provides protection against.
Sometimes different terms used in the name can be confusing as well. Terms such
as 4-way, 5-way, 7-way, or 8-way do not refer to any particular type of vaccine,
but rather to the number of different subtypes of a microorganism in a vaccine.
These terms are most often used for leptospirosis or clostridial disease
vaccines, which contain several different subtypes of the Leptospira or
Clostridium organisms. The herd veterinarian will know which types of vaccine
best fit the herd's management plan.
Modified Live or Killed Vaccines
Most vaccines contain either "modified live" or "killed" organisms. Modified
live vaccines, both viruses and bacteria, replicate themselves in the animal
after injection. This has been termed a "controlled infection." Because the
organisms have been "modified," they do not cause the disease but will stimulate
the immune system. Modified live vaccines are mainly available for diseases
caused by viruses, such as infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR).
Killed vaccines contain organisms or subunits of organisms which do not
replicate or reproduce themselves in the animal after injection. Killed vaccines
contain an adjuvant, or an added substance, which further stimulates the immune
system to respond to the vaccine challenge.
In general, modified live vaccines stimulate a longer lasting immunity than
killed vaccines. However, some modified live virus vaccines can cause abortion
in pregnant cows. In addition, some modified live vaccines are not approved in
calves nursing pregnant cows because of the slight possibility that the calves
could temporarily shed the vaccine virus and infect the cows. Modified live
vaccines can be used in weaned calves, including replacement heifers. If a
vaccine is used correctly, whether it is modified live or killed, it will
increase the animal's resistance to disease. The herd veterinarian can provide
valuable advice about which vaccines best fit the herd's situation.
Although vaccines will not cause the disease they are supposed to protect
against, some animals may have a fever temporarily after vaccination. Some may
have swelling and soreness at the sight of injection. In some cases, animals may
go off feed and decrease milk production for a few days.
Booster Vaccinations
For young animals being vaccinated for the first time, a second or booster
vaccination is often required a few weeks after the first or primary
vaccination. A booster vaccination is usually required for killed vaccines that
do not replicate in the animal once they are injected. The label directions will
indicate when and if a booster vaccination is required. Failure to give the
booster at the proper time could result in an incompletely protected adult
animal even if that animal is vaccinated every year thereafter.
The time between the primary and booster vaccinations is of interest to beef
producers. Management considerations make it difficult or impossible for some
producers to booster vaccinate within the time span called for on the label,
which is often from 3 to 6 weeks after primary vaccination. The herd
veterinarian can answer questions about the timing of booster vaccinations.
When USDA approves a vaccine, it does so only for the label directions which
were tested by the manufacturer. Exceeding the time span called for on the label
may not make a vaccine ineffective, but it is important to follow label
instructions as closely as possible.
Proper Handling of Vaccines
The best vaccine program can fail if the product is damaged by improper
handling. For example, if the label says to store a vaccine at 35 to 40 degrees
F, the vaccine should be refrigerated. Vaccines should not be allowed to freeze,
nor should they be stored in direct sunlight.
Most modified live vaccines must be reconstituted by adding sterile water to a
dehydrated "cake" in a separate sterile vial. Once the water is added, the
vaccine organisms are fragile and will be "live" for only a short time. As a
rule of thumb, only reconstitute enough vaccine to be used in 45 to 60 minutes.
Use a cooler or other climate-controlled storage container to protect
reconstituted vaccines from extremes of cold or heat and from sunlight.
Keep needles and syringes clean to avoid infections at the site of injection. Do
not use disinfectants with needles and syringes used for modified live vaccines.
Even a trace or film of disinfectant in a syringe or needle can kill the live
organisms and make the vaccine worthless. Use mild soap rinsed thoroughly with
hot water to clean injection equipment used with modified live vaccines. You can
use a mild disinfectant rinsed with water to clean needles and syringes used
with killed vaccines.
Do not mix different vaccines together in one syringe or combine other
injectable drugs into the same syringe with vaccines. Although this method has
been advocated as a method of reducing the number of injections, it will
inactivate the vaccine because of incompatibilities with the other compounds.
Method of Injection
In general, the preferred site for injection is in the neck, both for
intramuscular (IM) or subcutaneous (SQ) injections (See figure). Intramuscular
injections of some products, in particular clostridial (blackleg) vaccines, can
cause significant muscle damage. Avoid the top butt or rump of the animal.
Injection site reactions there will cause damage to a valuable beef product.
This muscle damage costs the beef industry millions of dollars a year from lost
product and lower calf prices.
Use neck for injections. Do not inject in rump and leg.
Importance of Nutrition
Vaccination alone will not insure a healthy herd. In order for a vaccine to
work, the animal's immune system must be able to respond to it, and for an
immune system to respond, an animal must receive proper nutrition. Proper
nutrition includes energy and protein as well as mineral supplementation.
Some calves which have been properly vaccinated with excellent vaccines have
still died in the feedyard because their pre-shipment mineral nutrition was
deficient. Minerals such as copper, selenium, and zinc are required in very
small amounts in the diet; however, if the forage is deficient in some of those
elements and they are not supplemented in a diet or a free choice mineral mix,
the immune system may not function correctly. Review your forage, supplement,
and mineral nutrition programs with your county Extension agent and veterinarian
to insure you are meeting the herd's needs.
Vaccinations for Different Animals in the Herd
Two main categories of animals should be vaccinated to prevent infectious
disease in the cow herd:
Calves (suckling, preweaning, postweaning).
Breeding animals (replacement heifers, bred replacement heifers, cows, and
bulls).
Calves
4-way or 7-way clostridial (blackleg)
Vaccinate at 3 to 4 months old (commonly called "branding time" in western
states); give a booster according to label a few weeks later. Revaccinate at 4
to 6 months old if first vaccination was given before 3 months old.
IBR/PI3/BVD/BRSV
May be recommended in herds at risk of pneumonia in nursing calves. Some
veterinarians may recommend an intranasal IBR/PI3 instead of the injectable IBR/PI3/BVD/BRSV
combination for young calves at the same time as blackleg vaccination.
Calfhood Vaccination for Brucellosis
For 4- to 10-month-old heifers, if recommended by herd veterinarian.
Older Calves Before Weaning
In order to add value to calves sold at or after weaning and to increase the
health in retained ownership calves going to the feedlot, the following
vaccinations should be considered:
IBR/PI3/BVD/BRSV (viruses causing pneumonia/sickness)
Give primary vaccination before weaning; booster vaccinate a few weeks later at
or before weaning. Follow label directions for time between vaccinations. Couple
this vaccination program with weaning 30 to 45 days before shipment.
The following vaccinations may also be recommended before weaning. (Consult with
your veterinarian. Follow vaccine label carefully.)
Haemophilus somnus
Pasteurella haemolytica (leukotoxoid-type vaccine)
Breeding Animals
Replacement heifers, cows, and bulls should be vaccinated before the breeding
season to keep resistance high. The following vaccinations are usually
recommended:
Leptospirosis 5-way
Vibriosis (Campylobacter fetus)
Give Lepto and Vibrio twice a year, once before breeding and once at calf
working or pregnancy check; they are available as a combination vaccine made by
many different companies.
IBR/PI3/BVD/BRSV
Replacement heifers: Use a modified live virus vaccine after weaning and before
breeding.
Pregnant cows: Use a product which is approved for them. Some modified live
virus vaccines may cause pregnant cows to abort.
7-way clostridial (blackleg) booster vaccination
Pregnant replacement heifers: Give a booster vaccination before their first
calves are born to increase immunity passed on to calf through colostrum.
Mature cows: A booster with clostridial vaccine before calving is not routinely
recommended.
Purchased Breeding Herd Additions
These animals should be vaccinated the same as breeding animals already in the
herd. Depending on the history available from the prior owner or sale, the
following vaccinations may be necessary:
Leptospirosis 5-way
Vibriosis (Campylobacter fetus)
IBR/PI3/BVD/BRSV
7-way clostridial (blackleg) booster vaccination
Other Possible Vaccinations
When calfhood diarrhea (scours) or sudden death has been a herd problem, work
with the herd veterinarian to arrive at a diagnosis for the cause. Vaccinate for
one of the following diseases only when a diagnosis confirms it has caused the
problem in the past.
"Scours vaccine" (may contain a combination of coronavirus, rotavirus, E. coli,
and/or Clostridium perfringens)
Can be administered to late-pregnant dams to prevent diarrhea in their calves.
Some may be labeled for oral administration to calves immediately after birth,
before ingestion of colostrum. Follow label directions.
Conclusion
Work closely with a veterinarian to customize a vaccination program for your cow
herd. A veterinarian may add or delete vaccinations that are generally
recommended for most herds. In addition, a veterinarian can offer objective
advice on specific vaccine products. By being involved in the design of the herd
health production calendar, a veterinarian will be better able to help prevent
disease and deal with it if it occurs.
Importance of Nutrition
Vaccination alone will not insure a healthy herd. In order for a vaccine to
work, the animal's immune system must be able to respond to it, and for an
immune system to respond, an animal must receive proper nutrition. Proper
nutrition includes energy and protein as well as mineral supplementation.
Some calves which have been properly vaccinated with excellent vaccines have
still died in the feedyard because their pre-shipment mineral nutrition was
deficient. Minerals such as copper, selenium, and zinc are required in very
small amounts in the diet; however, if the forage is deficient in some of those
elements and they are not supplemented in a diet or a free choice mineral mix,
the immune system may not function correctly. Review your forage, supplement,
and mineral nutrition programs with your county Extension agent and veterinarian
to insure you are meeting the herd's needs.
Vaccinations for Different Animals in the Herd
Two main categories of animals should be vaccinated to prevent infectious
disease in the cow herd:
Calves (suckling, preweaning, postweaning).
Breeding animals (replacement heifers, bred replacement heifers, cows, and
bulls).
Calves
4-way or 7-way clostridial (blackleg)
Vaccinate at 3 to 4 months old (commonly called "branding time" in western
states); give a booster according to label a few weeks later. Revaccinate at 4
to 6 months old if first vaccination was given before 3 months old.
IBR/PI3/BVD/BRSV
May be recommended in herds at risk of pneumonia in nursing calves. Some
veterinarians may recommend an intranasal IBR/PI3 instead of the injectable IBR/PI3/BVD/BRSV
combination for young calves at the same time as blackleg vaccination.
Calfhood Vaccination for Brucellosis
For 4- to 10-month-old heifers, if recommended by herd veterinarian.
Older Calves Before Weaning
In order to add value to calves sold at or after weaning and to increase the
health in retained ownership calves going to the feedlot, the following
vaccinations should be considered:
IBR/PI3/BVD/BRSV (viruses causing pneumonia/sickness)
Give primary vaccination before weaning; booster vaccinate a few weeks later at
or before weaning. Follow label directions for time between vaccinations. Couple
this vaccination program with weaning 30 to 45 days before shipment.
The following vaccinations may also be recommended before weaning. (Consult with
your veterinarian. Follow vaccine label carefully.)
Haemophilus somnus
Pasteurella haemolytica (leukotoxoid-type vaccine)
Breeding Animals
Replacement heifers, cows, and bulls should be vaccinated before the breeding
season to keep resistance high. The following vaccinations are usually
recommended:
Leptospirosis 5-way
Vibriosis (Campylobacter fetus)
Give Lepto and Vibrio twice a year, once before breeding and once at calf
working or pregnancy check; they are available as a combination vaccine made by
many different companies.
IBR/PI3/BVD/BRSV
Replacement heifers: Use a modified live virus vaccine after weaning and before
breeding.
Pregnant cows: Use a product which is approved for them. Some modified live
virus vaccines may cause pregnant cows to abort.
7-way clostridial (blackleg) booster vaccination
Pregnant replacement heifers: Give a booster vaccination before their first
calves are born to increase immunity passed on to calf through colostrum.
Mature cows: A booster with clostridial vaccine before calving is not routinely
recommended.
Purchased Breeding Herd Additions
These animals should be vaccinated the same as breeding animals already in the
herd. Depending on the history available from the prior owner or sale, the
following vaccinations may be necessary:
Leptospirosis 5-way
Vibriosis (Campylobacter fetus)
IBR/PI3/BVD/BRSV
7-way clostridial (blackleg) booster vaccination
Other Possible Vaccinations
When calfhood diarrhea (scours) or sudden death has been a herd problem, work
with the herd veterinarian to arrive at a diagnosis for the cause. Vaccinate for
one of the following diseases only when a diagnosis confirms it has caused the
problem in the past.
"Scours vaccine" (may contain a combination of coronavirus, rotavirus, E. coli,
and/or Clostridium perfringens)
Can be administered to late-pregnant dams to prevent diarrhea in their calves.
Some may be labeled for oral administration to calves immediately after birth,
before ingestion of colostrum. Follow label directions.
Conclusion
Work closely with a veterinarian to customize a vaccination program for your cow
herd. A veterinarian may add or delete vaccinations that are generally
recommended for most herds. In addition, a veterinarian can offer objective
advice on specific vaccine products. By being involved in the design of the herd
health production calendar, a veterinarian will be better able to help prevent
disease and deal with it if it occurs.
Cattle
Update: Pre-Breeding Excellent Time To Vaccinate Cows
Cow vaccination programs are often overlooked by producers. However, these
vaccinations are important to reproductive success. Diseases that are part of
the bovine respiratory disease (BRD) complex can also cause abortions in cattle.
Two viruses from the BRD complex implicated in abortions are Infectious Bovine
Rhinotracheitis (IBR) and Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD). In addition,
leptospirosis (Lepto) is common in Virginia and causes abortion in cattle.
Vaccinating lactating or open cows before breeding with a high quality vaccine
will reduce chances that these diseases will cause a decrease in reproductive
efficiency.
Another recent benefit of vaccinating cows prebreeding is that certain vaccines
now allow for the use of modified-live virus vaccines against BRD to be used in
calves nursing pregnant cows IF cows were vaccinated with the same vaccine
prebreeding. The use of modified-live virus vaccines in calves allows for
nursing calves to be vaccinated in accordance to VQA Certified Feeder Calf
requirements with only one shot for the BRD complex. Currently, Bovi-Shield and
PregGaurd (Pfizer), and Pyramid (Ft. Dodge) vaccines are labeled for use in
calves nursing previously vaccinated cows. Before using any of these
modified-live virus products in calves nursing pregnant cows, please consult
your veterinarian to ensure your herd health program and product choice is
compatible with use in nursing calves and pregnant cows.
Recommended Vaccinations for Cows
Recommended prebreeding vaccinations for cows include IBR, PI3, BVD, BRSV, 5-way
Leptospirosis. A new Lepto organism called Lepto hardjo-bovis is also gaining
current attention and vaccines are now available for this agent. While it seems
clear that the organism is present in our Virginia cattle, there is still a lack
of data on whether vaccination for the disease will improve reproductive
performance in our herds. Vaccinations against Vibrio, a venereal disease,
should be included if recommended by your veterinarian. Either killed or
modified-live virus products may be used as prebreeding vaccinations. However,
producers must be careful to follow label directions. Remember all killed virus
vaccines must be boostered with same product in 14 to 28 days as indicated on
the label. Most modified-live virus vaccines only require one dose, but several
require a booster for BRSV. In addition, not all modified-live virus vaccines
are approved for use in calves nursing pregnant cows even if the cows were
previously vaccinated.
For more information on a recommended herd health program for the cow-calf herd
see "Beef Cow/Calf Herd Health Program and Calendar" authored by Drs. Whittier
and Currin. This publication is available at
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/beef/400-007/400-007.pdf or through your local
Extension office.
In addition to prebreeding vaccinations, all cows should receive a revaccination
against Lepto at weaning or pregnancy exam. Because of the nature of the Lepto
vaccine, immunity to Lepto developed by cows is relatively short lived. So
revaccination every 6 months is essential to adequate protection against
leptospirosis.
Barriers to Prebreeding Vaccinations
One of the biggest barriers to a quality prebreeding vaccination program is a
long calving season. Calving seasons extending beyond 75 to 90 days often have
cows still calving when bulls are turned in. Producers should strive for a
calving season that is only 75 to 80 days long. Initially, producers with herds
with extended calving seasons can vaccinate cows in groups as they calve. Some
vaccines are approved for annual revaccination at pregnancy exam once initial
vaccinations have been completed.
Producers should also work with their veterinarian on a vaccination program for
their replacement heifers. Having these animals properly immunized with a
modified-live virus product before their initial breeding season can help in
establishing a routine of prebreeding vaccinations for the cow herd.
Another barrier is time management. Calving season and prebreeding season often
overlap. Producers need to be careful and plan ahead for timing of vaccinations.
A good herd health program can go awry if one forgets prebreeding vaccinations
only one year.
Lack of time between calving and the beginning of the breeding season is often
cited by producers as a barrier to prebreeding vaccinations. Traditional
recommendations were to complete all vaccinations by 30 days before the breeding
season especially for modified-live virus vaccines. Research indicated that
exposure of previously unvaccinated cows to a modified-live vaccine within 2
weeks of the breeding season reduced pregnancy rates due to the immune response
to the vaccine. Recent research by Dr. Dee Whittier at Virginia Tech indicates
that vaccinations with a modified-live virus product can occur as little as 10
days before the breeding season IF the cows have been vaccinated with the same
product in previous years.
Plan now to incorporate prebreeding vaccinations in your herd health program and
it will make your entire herd health program easier. In addition, calf health
may be improved by vaccination of the calf pre-weaning.