Use of vaccines in sheep and cattle

Vaccinations form a key part of a herd or flock health plan. There are different classifications of vaccines which may be used on farm and many factors which impact how well they protect livestock from disease.

The sheep and cattle sectors are committed to monitoring the estimated uptake of vaccines to provide evidence of responsible medicine stewardship for the RUMA Target Task Force.

RUMA cattle target

• To improve management and control of respiratory disease, including the use of vaccinations

It is difficult to distinguish the use of respiratory vaccinations in dairy and beef cattle from product sales data; therefore, this target relates to all bovine animals.

RUMA sheep targets

• To improve the management and control of lameness by increasing uptake of the Five Point Plan; part of this includes vaccination against footrot, where necessary, therefore the uptake of footrot vaccine is being monitored

• To promote the responsible control of enzootic abortion by vaccination rather than by treatment with antibiotics; the uptake of enzootic abortion vaccine is being monitored

Vaccines prepare the immune system to fight infections from pathogenic bacteria, viruses or parasites by imitating the pathogen and stimulating the development of antibodies.

Protection provided by vaccines varies, with many being highly effective, but no vaccine can provide total protection against disease.

Vaccination programmes are an important part of a herd or flock health control strategy, but are not a substitute for good management practices, such as appropriate attention to biosecurity and animal husbandry.

Vaccine use in the UK

In the UK, more than 40 vaccines are authorised for use to control or prevent disease in cattle and about 20 vaccines are authorised for use in sheep. 

The figures used to monitor estimated vaccine uptake are the number of doses of vaccines authorised for use in cattle and sheep sold in the UK each year. These are based on wholesaler data collated by Kynetec and provided by MSD Animal Health.

The assumptions used to calculate vaccine uptake are reviewed and amended (where appropriate) annually to account for changes in product data sheets and the addition of new vaccines.

While the information is correct at the time of printing, figures may vary between reporting years. These reporting differences do not necessarily indicate a trend or error, but reflect evolving developments in vaccination practices.

We encourage you to consider the broader context when interpreting year-on-year comparisons.

The figures reported, while very useful, do not measure the effectiveness of the vaccines.

The level of protection could be lower due to: 

• Incorrect storage conditions 
• Incorrect dosage, route or site of administration
• Poor timing of vaccination relative to risk period, e.g. too close to weaning or too late in pregnancy
• Poor timing of follow-up booster vaccinations 

For example, in one survey, only 48% of respondents stated that they administered the second dose in the primary course within the recommended timeframe and 14% of respondents stated that they vaccinated earlier than the youngest recommended age (Cresswell E. 2014). 

Another study found that 45.5% of respondents stored their vaccines in a fridge specific to veterinary medicines. Only 6.4% of these respondents checked fridge temperatures daily to make sure their vaccines remained stable and effective (Hall, L.E. 2022).

Many of the vaccines included in the uptake report are classed as Category One vaccines in the NOAH Livestock Vaccination Guideline. This means they are the highest priority vaccinations and should be considered as default vaccinations unless appropriate justifications have been clearly identified by the vet and farmer working together.

Vaccine classifications

The two main classifications of vaccine are live and dead vaccines.

After being injected, live vaccines grow and replicate in the animal and produce an immune response.

Generally, live viral vaccines provoke a satisfactory immune response with a single dose.

Dead or inactivated vaccines consist of killed or inactivated forms of the pathogen or their toxins. The immune response to inactivated vaccines is initially not as strong as for live vaccines because the pathogen or toxin does not replicate in the animal. To ensure sufficient protection, a primary course of two doses of the vaccine is usually required, with a short interval between these doses.

The onset of immune protection from vaccination does not occur immediately; it often takes a few weeks to develop after administering the initial course.

Every vaccine has a data sheet containing instructions on correct administration and storage. Data sheets can be viewed and downloaded from the NOAH Compendium and the Veterinary Medicines Directorate Product Information Database.