Following on from news recently released that 1.2million doses of The First Mastitis vaccine to be registered for Ireland and Europe, has now been sold to farmers though out Europe ,who have decided to START VACcinating TO PREVENT Mastitis since last December 2009, it is now apparent that the concept of prevention rather than treatment of mastitis is beginning to take root. Since the vaccine against bovine mastitis is now commercially available in Ireland it is worth reviewing the administration protocols that farmers who are beginning to START VACcinating against mastitis are adopting when administering the vaccine to their herds.
In Ireland, where Staph Aureous is the most prevalent strain of mastitis according to the National Veterinary laboratories , followed by E-Coli, herd vaccination is being applied using one of two administration protocols. THE VACCINE works by inducing a high level of antibodies within the vaccinated animal which then helps the animal suppress and fight any mastitic challenge it may encounter around the calving period and through lactation . Vaccinating will allow the animal achieve a high level of immunity around the calving period when the animal is under a higher level of stress than normal and the animals immunity is low (and very susceptible to challenges presented by Staph Aureus and E- Coli.). To achieve maximum benefit from vaccinating then , the Classic Protocol needs to be applied . To adopt this protocol it is important that the farmer is aware of the potential dates of calving within his herd as the vaccine must be administered prior to calving (twice) and following the calving (once) to bolster this period of low immunity in the animal . By adopting this strategy , farmers are getting to maximise the potential benefit of the immunity afforded by vaccination at a crucial period for the dairy cow. On the farms which conducted the trials for product registration and on the farms in Ireland where further studies are being carried out, the farmers successfully vaccinated the cows in groups /batches which cut down on the labour involved and made the administration more efficient and less labour intensive. The first dose was applied between 38 and 52 days before calving. The second dose was applied 10-17 days prior to calving. A minimum period of 21 days must separate application of the 1st and 2nd dose . Then following calving the third dose is administered between 45 and 59 days ensuring that the immunity remains high as the animal enters mid lactation. The injections were administered intramuscularly either side of the neck.(they can also be given into the gluteal muscle) The full immunisation scheme induces immunity in the vaccinated animal from approximately day 13 after the first injection until approximately day 78 after the third injection (equivalent to 130 days post calving).
Where Irish farm management in the past has shown no particular requirement for recording anticipated calving dates for vaccination purposes, Irish farmers without this information have questioned how they could use vaccination as a tool in the reduction and prevention of mastitis to complement their particular herd health plan while still being in receipt of the benefits and advantages arising from its use. An Alternate Protocol was designed specifically to deal with farms where records were not specific enough to allow use of the three dose protocol. The Alternate Protocol involves giving 4 injections and seeks to provide a general high level of immunity across the herd and through calving , continuing on throughout the lactation period. Allowing for calving to begin around the end of January i.e. 31st , the vaccinations are administered as follows…the first injection is given between the 27th December / 1st of January followed by the second injection at a minimum of 3 weeks later, administered between the 14th /21st January. Following the completion of the calving period (approx Mid April) the 3rd injection is then administered 21st of May /1st of June. A fourth injection is then administered towards the end of September (21st -30th ) . Despite the extra cost involved in giving an extra injection , farmers who adopted this vaccination protocol are finding it easier to implement as all the animals are vaccinated at once ( blanket vaccination) and there was no requirement to separate the herd into batches. In year two, following the recording of the anticipated calving dates in the herd ,it is anticipated that farmers on the 4 dose Alternate Protocol will resort back to the 3 dose Classic Protocol.
It is important to note that mastitis is a multi-factorial disease , and vaccination has to be considered as just one component in a complex mastitis control program; All farmers intent on including vaccination in their overall strategy to reduce Mastitis caused by Staph Aureus and E-Coli on their farm should understand that it is not a stand alone solution and must only be used while simultaneously addressing all the important udder health factors i.e. milking technique, dry-off and breeding management, hygiene, nutrition, bedding, cow comfort, air and water quality, health monitoring .For further information relating to the vaccine, please contact Duggan Veterinary @ (0504) 43169 or contact your local veterinary surgeon