A questionnaire‐based survey on the uptake and use of cattle vaccines in the UK

Abstract

BackgroundVaccination is a widely used strategy for disease control in cattle in the UK and abroad. However, there has been limited research describing the uptake and use of cattle vaccines on UK farms.AimTo describe the current uptake and usage of cattle vaccines in the UK.DesignA questionnaire, available in paper and online format, was distributed to cattle farmers by convenience sampling.ParticipantsAll UK cattle farmers were eligible to participate in the study.ResultsEighty-six per cent of respondents (n=229/266) had vaccinated their cattle in the past year. Diseases most commonly vaccinated against were Bovine Viral Diarrhoea, Leptospirosis and Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis. Vaccination compliance was limited in certain areas, for example only 48 per cent of respondents stated that they administered the second dose in the primary course within the recommended timeframe, and 14 per cent of respondents stated that they vaccinated earlier than the youngest recommended age. Although outside the scope of this study, further work is needed to establish the extent of inadequate compliance and the effect this has on vaccine efficacy. The role of the veterinarian was highlighted as the main supplier of vaccines and preferred source of vaccination information. Respondents preferred to receive recommendations regarding vaccination by face-to-face communication with the veterinarian.ConclusionsThe results provide a description of the current uptake and usage of cattle vaccines in the UK. Uptake is generally high but there are areas of usage of vaccines which could be improved upon. The veterinarian plays a key role as supplier of vaccines and a source of information for the majority of farmers. Although outside the scope of this study, further work is needed to establish the extent of inadequate compliance and the effect this has on vaccine efficacy. Although the respondents in this study represent a biased population of farmers, the findings indicate areas for future investigation in order to improve vaccination strategies in cattle in the UK.

Control of infectious diseases in dairy cattle

“…However, vaccines must be used appropriately to be effective. Vaccination regimes themselves can be complex and errors do occur, for example in maintaining the cold chain and in using multiple products at the same time (Cresswell et al, 2014). Farmer expectations about the effectiveness of vaccines needs to be carefully managed to avoid reliance on vaccination alone; whilst modern vaccines can be very effective, full protection is difficult to guarantee in the absence of any other control measures, due to poor compliance, insufficient immune response or an overwhelming challenge.…”

Handling and storing medicines on beef and dairy farms

“…With vets administering vaccines on farm in only 6 percent of cases in the UK (Cresswell and others 2014), responsibility for the administration of vaccines and other veterinary medicines largely falls on farmers and farm workers. It is unknown how aware farmers are of the need to keep vaccines within specified temperature ranges until they are administered to an animal.…”

“…For example, some vaccines are required to be brought up to ambient temperatures of 15 to 25°C before administration. Although this information is on the datasheet, Cresswell and others (2014) found that only about one third of farmers refer to the datasheet before starting a vaccination session. Unfortunately, there are limited published data on the actual effect on efficacy of the vaccine when it is not administered at the correct temperature, so more research in this area could help farmers and vets focus on the key areas to improve.…”

“…The most common mistake was the administration of intramuscular vaccines subcutaneously and vice versa (Cresswell and others 2014). In the same study, 31 per cent of farmers were administering vaccines at the incorrect site compared to that recommended on the datasheet, with the majority of injections given in the gluteal region when the neck was recommended.…”

Calf immunology and the role of vaccinations in dairy calves

“…Vaccinations are commonly used to protect calves against diarrhoea and respiratory disease on UK dairy farms, as highlighted by a recent study reporting that 75 per cent of dairy farmers were vaccinating calves up to the age of six months (Cresswell and others 2014). The same study reported higher use of respiratory and clostridial vaccines in beef calves, compared with dairy calves, except for lungworm, for which less than 5 per cent of beef animals were vaccinated, compared to a third of dairy animals.…”