Vaccines are one of the most effective and economical tools available to maintain herd health, reduce disease loss and support animal well-being. However, even the best vaccine can fail if it’s not handled correctly. Dr. Jon Townsend, dairy technical services veterinarian with Merck Animal Health, recently touched on the topic during a Dairy Calf and Heifer Association webinar.
“You’ve made the investment in those vaccines. You want to get the best response out of them. You want to get the best cow health possible,” Townsend says.
Whether you’re working with calves, replacement heifers or mature cattle, following consistent vaccine handling practices ensures your investment delivers the intended immunity. Here are five key guidelines to keep in mind.
1. Store Vaccines at the Right Temperature
Vaccines are sensitive, biological products. Many must be kept refrigerated at a specific temperature range to remain effective.
- Use a dedicated refrigerator (not the one used for drinks and lunches), as frequent door opening causes temperature swings.
- Place a thermometer in the fridge to monitor temperature regularly.
- Avoid storing vaccines in the refrigerator door where temperatures fluctuate the most.
2. Don’t Mix all your Vaccine at Once
Many livestock vaccines are sold as two-part products. Once mixed, the live organisms begin to break down.
“Only mix what you’ll use in the next one to two hours if you have to mix up a vaccine,” Townsend advises. “Your modified live vaccines you have to mix. So don’t mix a huge bottle that’s going to take the whole day to use. By the time you get to the last dose that vaccine has potentially degraded, and you won’t get the same response that you would have immediately after reconstitution.”
3. Keep Mixed Vaccines Cool and Out of Sunlight
Heat and sunlight can rapidly damage vaccines, particularly modified-live vaccines.
- Keep syringes and mixed bottles in an insulated cooler with cold packs.
- Do not place vaccine bottles on the chute, in your shirt pocket, or on a truck dashboard.
- Check your cooler throughout the day to ensure cold packs are still cold and not melted.
Unsure about what cooler to use? Consider making it yourself.
“You can either buy a fancy one, or you can make one yourself with an Igloo cooler and drill some holes,” Townsend says. In the end, the goal is the same. “It’s really important to keep that vaccine cool. If you’re using a multi-dose syringe, make sure you’re keeping [it] cool between calves.”
4. Maintain Needle Cleanliness
Contamination can destroy vaccine potency and introduce infection to animals.
- Use new clean needles when drawing vaccine from the bottle.
- Do not set uncapped syringes or needles down on surfaces like tailgates or barn rails.
- If a needle becomes dirty, bent or touches anything questionable, replace it.
“We need to be thinking about changing out needles more frequently than [we] did 30 years ago,” Townsend says. “Then disinfect the needle and syringes after use or dispose of them, and think about disinfecting multi-dose syringes.”
Townsend also highlights the importance of making sure there is no disinfectant residue remaining after cleaning as it has the potential to inactivate your vaccines. Producers and veterinarians should work together to set up protocols for syringe reuse.
5. Use Sharp, Appropriate Needles
A sharp needle ensures a clean injection and reduces animal discomfort.
- Replace needles regularly and check for sharpness.
- Choose needle size based on animal size, vaccine viscosity and route of administration:
- Subcutaneous: typically 16 to 18 gauge, ½" to ¾"
- Intramuscular: typically 16 to 20 gauge, 1" to 1½"
Townsend specifically warns about the development of burrs, small barbs or defects that can catch on skin, on your needles after too many uses.
“If you wouldn’t want it going into your arm for a vaccine, you shouldn’t be putting it into a cow or calf either,” he says.
Overall, the immunity an animal gains from vaccination is only as good as the care taken in handling the product. Proper storage, careful mixing, maintaining temperature and using clean, sharp needles are straightforward steps that protect your investment and your herd.
