Use of vaccines in cattle

Find out more about the uptake of cattle vaccinations across the UK between 2011 and 2023.

Summary points for cattle vaccines

Vaccine sales

The total number of doses of cattle vaccines sold increased by 20.6% between 2011 and 2023.

Many factors contribute to fluctuations in vaccine sales, including changes in the dose regimes along with manufacturing and supply issues. Sales from wholesalers do not necessarily equate to use in that year. However, monitoring sales is still useful in estimating the likely level of protection in the target group.

Back to: Vaccine uptake report for cattle and sheep

Table 1. Uptake of vaccination (%) for cattle in the UK between 2011–2023

	2011	2012	2013	2020	2021	2022	2023
Total number cattle <1yr	2,882,124	2,925,381	2,805,692	2,900,057	2,969,413	2,961,578	2,879,880
Calf pneumonia vaccines	29%	31%	35%	44%	44%	43%	45%

Total cattle and calves	9,840,128	9,850,583	9,762,925	9,490,300	9,522,442	9,524,864	9,399,840
IBR	23%	25%	27%	33%	32%	29%	33%

Total number of breeding females >1yr	4,809,144	4,819,572	4,786,670	4,749,092	4,765,815	4,769,069	4,715,887
BVD	42%	44%	45%	44%	41%	40%	39%
Leptospirosis	32%	36%	33%	32%	30%	30%	33%

Total no. of breeding females (> 2yrs)	3,447,349	3,425,541	3,381,793	3,333,094	3,315,653	3,274,535	3,208,652
Calf enteritis	15%	18%	12%	19%	21%	22%	24%

Total doses of vaccine sold	8,462,739	9,348,562	9,325,950	10,499,505	10,183,230	10,057,425	10,207,253

Vaccine use analysis

The largest increase in vaccine uptake from 2011 to 2023 was calf enteritis (up 61.3%), pneumonia (up 52.6%) and IBR (up 31.7%). In cattle, scour and pneumonia are responsible for a considerable but unknown proportion of antibiotic use. These increasing vaccine sales figures are promising given the focus on the responsible antibiotic use.

Since 2011, the proportion of cattle vaccinated for Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) has fluctuated within a relatively small range (39%-48%).The proportion of cattle vaccinated for Leptospirosis has remained stable in recent years ranging from 30%-33%. Leptospirosis uptake decreased marginally in 2021 and 2022, down to 30.0%, due to supply chain issues. In 2023 this rose again to 32.6%.

Pneumonia vaccines

Pneumonia is responsible for a considerable amount of antibiotics in cattle. There are good vaccines available and these should be considered to protect the herd and reduce antibiotic usage.

Find out more about pneumonia vaccine use in cattle

Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) vaccines

IBR causes severe respiratory disease that can lead to fatal pneumonia. The virus can infect the upper respiratory tract and the reproductive tract. Mortality is low, but economic losses can be important.

Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) virus vaccines in cattle

BVD virus is one of the most important viral infections of cattle. The virus infects cattle of all age groups, including the unborn calf.

Find out more about Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) virus vaccines

Leptospirosis vaccines

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by bacteria of the Leptospira genus. It is a common infection in dairy and beef herds and causes infertility, abortion and poor milk yield.

Find out more about Leptospirosis vaccines in cattle

Calf enteritis vaccines

Calf enteritis, or calf scour, is a common problem found on most cattle farms in the UK. It can be a major cause of poor growth and calf mortality.