A905
Vaccination Program

All calves that are potential replacement heifers, feeder steers, and breeding bulls might receive the following:

1. At birth to one week of age:
   1. Scours prevention products - This consists of 3 different avenues of protection:
      • Oral vaccination of new calves with a modified live Rota and Coronavirus product. This must be the first product administered, and colostrum delivery must be delayed by 0.5 to 1 hour to ensure that the modified live viruses have time to replicate.
      • Oral antibody supplementation through use of a commercial product.
      • Oral colostrum - Remember that the dam will produce protective antibodies in her colostrum. Colostral enhancement can be accomplished through vaccination of the dam with products that stimulate antibody production against E. coli, Clostridial organisms, Rota and Corona viruses.
   2. Respiratory protection using intranasal (IN) IBR and PI-3 vaccination products.
   3. Avoid all other vaccinations in calves less than one week old. They are still recovering from the stress at birth and have high levels of natural steroids that will compromise response to vaccinations. Calves at this age do have an intact immune system but they are weak in some components that may cause them to fail to produce the right response. Immunization of animals less than one week of age should be limited to oral (antibody, colostrum, rota/corona) and intranasal (IBR/PI-3) products and vaccines.
       
2. Between 3 and 5 weeks of age: Avoid vaccination during this period in the calf’s life. During this period the calf is experiencing a decline in certain immune system cells it received from its mother in the colostrum. Its immune system is also undergoing a time where it is starting to produce these protective cells on its own. Vaccination during this time may produce a poor or adverse response. Adverse responses to vaccines given at this time may persist and predispose the animal to future adverse responses to vaccinations.
    
3. At 5 weeks of age:
   1. 4-way (BVD, IBR, BRSV, PI-3) modified live.
   2. Lepto-hardjo bovis vaccination. This vaccine must be reboostered in 4-6 weeks.
       
4. At 4 months of age:
   1. A 4-way (BVD, IBR, BRSV, PI-3), plus Lepto 5-way modified live vaccine. Due to possible adverse reactions, never administer a Vibrio/Lepto combination vaccine to dairy cattle (Holstein cattle particularly). These two antigens must be administered in separate injections.
   2. A 7 or 8-way vaccine for Clostridial organisms.
   3. Pasteurella vaccine (only if needed due to farm or calf-raiser history).
       
5. At 5 months of age:
   1. Repeat the 4-way (BVD, IBR, BRSV, PI-3) plus Lepto 5-way modified live vaccine. This vaccination is needed to catch any animals that might have had maternal antibody from colostrum that may have interfered with a successful vaccination at the 4 month stage.
   2. A 7 or 8-way Clostridial booster
   3. Pasteurella vaccine booster - depending on the product used.
   4. Bang’s vaccine for heifers (consult a local veterinarian) - Consider administering Bang’s vaccine on its own day to spread out gram-negative antigen exposure.
       
6. Replacement heifers (at 12-13 months of age):
   1. A 4-way (BVD, IBR, BRSV, PI-3) modified live vaccine + 5-way Lepto. If Vibrio antigen is required, administer it as a separate vaccine. Do not use Vibrio/Lepto combinations in dairy breeds (Holsteins particularly).
   2. A 7 or 8-way Clostridial booster.
   3. Lepto-hardjo bovis annual rebooster.

All pregnant animals (heifers and cows) should receive the following:

1. At dry-off:
   1. A 4-way (BVD, IBR, BRSV, PI-3) killed vaccine. Under some new product labels it may be possible to use a modified-live vaccine at this point – check with a local veterinarian.
   2. Injectable scours prevention product.
   3. A 7 or 8-way Clostridial vaccine.
   4. Mastitis prevention product (J-5 core-antigen mastitis vaccine).
       
2. Three weeks prior to calving:
   1. Booster for injectable scours product (if required).
   2. Mastitis prevention product (J-5 core-antigen mastitis vaccine).
      

• Avoid vaccinating animals within the first 10 days of calving.

All animals 2-3 weeks after calving should receive the following:

1. Mastitis prevention product (J-5 core-antigen mastitis vaccine).
2. A 4-way (BVD, IBR, BRSV, PI-3) modified live.
3. Lepto-hardjo bovis vaccine.

At pregnancy check confirmation:

1. Some product labels support the use of BVD, IBR, BRSV, PI-3 modified-live and 5-way Lepto vaccines at this time. Check with a local veterinarian to see if the herd qualifies.

Bull Populations:

1. Bull populations should be subject to the same type of vaccination programs as the replacement heifers.
2. 4-way modified live + Vibrio/Lepto vaccine and 7 or 8-way Clostridial vaccine annually.
3. Consider administering a 2X dose of a separate Vibrio product to bulls to reduce the amount of time that viable organisms inhabit the penis and prepuce. Vasquez, L.A. et al. AJVR 44:1553-1557 (1983).
4. If not previously exposed a Lepto-hardjo bovis vaccine, a dose should be administered followed by a booster dose 4-6 weeks later before commingling bulls with the female population.

Things to consider in getting the most out of vaccinating dairy cattle:

1. Pay attention to how the vaccine is handled. Most vaccine should be refrigerated until used. Leaving it on the dashboard of a truck, in direct sunlight, or where it can be heated or frozen will decrease the effectiveness of the vaccine. Contact of modified live virus vaccines with soaps, disinfectants, antiseptics, or alcohol can destroy the virus in the vaccine and damage the vaccine’s ability to produce an immune response. Repeating syringes should be washed with mild soap only and then rinsed well with clean water.
    
2. Consider environmental stressors on cattle when vaccinating. Avoid vaccinating on extremely hot or cold days. In hot weather, consider vaccinating in the morning to minimize the stress of handling in the hotter part of the day.
    
3. Animals that are transported (possibly as a result of a recent purchase) should be isolated and vaccinated 2-3 days following arrival. If animals are commingled, they should be vaccinated immediately upon arrival and receive a booster vaccination again in 10-14 days.
    
4. Avoid vaccinating animals together with stressful events like calving, weaning, dehorning, or castration. Ideally vaccination should be done 7-10 days prior to such events.
    
5. Unless under the direction of a veterinarian, vaccinate only healthy cattle. There may be some instances where vaccination in the face of a disease outbreak would be helpful.
    
6. Address other immune system stresses, such as parasitism, to enable a maximum response to the vaccine.
    
7. Vaccines do not last forever. Always follow label directions on the frequency of booster vaccination.
    
8. Vaccines are not 100% effective. Individual immune responses, environmental pressures, levels of exposure and virulence (or strength of the infectious agent that causes disease) are all variables in the process of immunization. We may give vaccines, but vaccination does not necessarily equal immunization, and immunization does not always equal protection.
    
9. Implement biosecurity management strategies to minimize exposure to disease and strengthen herd immunity. See page A76 for additional details about biosecurity.