The Beef Checkoff-funded Beef Quality Assurance program includes guidelines on vaccination with best practices on mixing and drawing up vaccines, product handling and storage, and choosing correct syringe and needle sizes. The guidelines are reviewed rigorously and are updated using current scientific recommendations.
Julia Herman, DVM, MS, asserts the importance of record keeping and having a written vaccination plan that includes the vaccination history of cattle on the farm and new additions to the herd.
Source: BQA, August 4, 2023. Link. Herman shares some common mistakes to avoid when developing and implementing your herd vaccination protocols:
- Not reviewing cattle vaccination protocols every year with the herd veterinarian
- Not reading the product label, even if you’ve used the product before
- Not protecting vaccines from extreme temperatures
- Relying solely on vaccines in a herd health plan
- Letting the BQA certification lapse
INSIGHTS: Vaccination is a familiar tool for animal health pros, but we cannot forget the responsibility to educate every producer on vaccination handling, use and protocols. Decision makers and ranch personnel change continuously and many of them may not be familiar with managing vaccines and vaccination strategies.