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Vaccine vigilance: Safeguarding your cattle herd with informed decisions

Vaccines are one of the most valuable tools producers have in their biosecurity arsenal to protect livestock against a broad range of endemic diseases. When considering a vaccination program for your beef or dairy cattle, there are several key factors to consider, such as:  

  • Location/production system 
  • Some conditions only occur in certain regions. For example, bovine ephemeral fever (BEF) and tick fever are generally restricted to the BEF virus distribution areas and cattle tick-infested areas of Northern Australia. 
  • Intensively produced cattle can face different disease risks compared to extensively produced cattle, e.g. bovine respiratory disease in beef feedlots.  
  • Class of stock  
  • Vaccination requirements may differ based on whether stock is produced for dairy or beef, as well as breeding and non-breeding stock. Requirements may also differ for bulls and cows, such as calf scours and salmonella.  
  • Seasonality of the disease you’re vaccinating for. 
  • Vaccine storage and handling requirements, as well as following the vaccine label instructions. 

Diseases of significance  

There are a number of diseases that cattle are regularly vaccinated against in Australia as part of a herd health plan. Table 1 (below) shows some of the key endemic diseases that can be managed by vaccination programs.  

Make informed decisions when buying stock with Immune Ready Guidelines and the Cattle Health Declaration. 

In addition to implementing a vaccination program (tailored to the relevant location and enterprise), beef and dairy producers can utilise both the Immune Ready Guidelines and Cattle Health Declaration (CHD) to make informed decisions when buying new stock. When used together, these tools allow a buyer to assess the vaccination and health status of new stock before purchase, reducing the risk of introducing diseases into their herd. Sellers can also benefit by showcasing the superior health and vaccination status of their stock by participating in these programs.  

More information is available here: 

Home – Immune Ready 

Declarations – Farm Biosecurity 

Vaccinating | Meat & Livestock Australia (mla.com.au) 

 

Table 1: Major diseases for consideration as part of a cattle vaccination program   

Disease   Further Information  Class of stock  Distribution 
Clostridial diseases  Includes:   

  • Tetanus 
  • Black disease  
  • Black leg 
  • Malignant oedema  
  • Pulpy kidney  
  • Botulism1 
 All cattle in all production systems should be vaccinated against clostridial diseases.   Australia wide.  
Leptospirosis  Can be administered as part of a clostridial plus lepto 7-in-1 vaccine, or as a lepto only vaccine.   All cattle can be impacted.  Australia-wide, however, there is an increased risk in wet and humid climates. 
Pestivirus   Also known as bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV), it is most commonly seen following the introduction of or mixing with persistently infected (PI) animals.   Impacts both beef and dairy herds, particularly individuals that are naïve to the virus (not yet exposed or unvaccinated). Pregnant animals are most at risk.  Australia wide. 
Johne’s disease (JD) 

 

 Vaccines are generally only used in herds that have had JD diagnosed and is given only once (to calves).  All cattle (and all ruminants) can be impacted. More often seen in dairy cattle.  Mostly confined to parts of temperate southern Australia.  
Infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR)  IBR is a herpes virus that is commonly associated with Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD).  This vaccine is of particular importance for beef cattle as it is required by all cattle entering a feedlot.    Australia wide. 
Tick fever  Caused by a parasite that is transmitted by the cattle tick.   Location dependent.  Endemic to the cattle tick zones of Australia. 
Bovine ephemeral fever (BEF)  Most commonly spread via the saliva of infected mosquitos.  Location and season dependent.    Confined to the BEF distribution areas of Australia. 
THE AUTHOR

Carley Lewis

Biosecurity Coordinator | Animal Health Australia

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