Spring Vaccination

Spring is a season for new ideas and new innovations. As veterinarians, we get swept up in the drama of calving season with its difficult deliveries and illnesses. It is often difficult to remember to take time to share and implement new ideas for preventive health for the entire herd.

Several products have hit the market in recent years backed by new research into calf immune systems. Intranasal vaccines which stimulate immunity to viruses on the surface of the airways and gastrointestinal tract are particularly interesting for use on newborns. Studies have shown that these products prime the immune system and make successive vaccinations perform better. For herds with calfhood pneumonia cases in spring and summer, getting respiratory vaccines on board early and boosting them at turn-out is a great strategy to improve performance of the vaccines overall.

You are already putting in a lot of time into handling these newborns and ensuring they get the best start in life. Administering vaccinations at this stage is convenient and effective for many operations.

No matter how busy calving season may get, we would love to take the time to discuss these new vaccines with you and see if there is a place for them in your program.