Tracey Erickson, South Dakota State University Extension’s Dairy Field Specialist, provides a solid reference document for handling and storing vaccines in this quick read. While valid vet-client-patient relationships help in establishing the vaccine of choice, Erickson offers tips for how to keep and store animal vaccines and provides an overview of the types of livestock vaccines.
Source: Beef Producer, November 30, 2015.
So how do vaccines become worthless? Proteins are the major components of the organisms that make up both killed and MLV vaccines. Proteins are denatured by the interaction of two major factors: time and temperature. In addition, most common disinfectants will render modified live organisms inactive. So the anti-bacterial soap or even city or rural water, which contains chlorine, can have an effect on vaccines, when residues are present in your syringes or transfer needles. Thus, rinse with distilled water which is near the boiling point.
INSIGHTS: While a repetitive topic for veterinary teams, dealers as well as sales representatives, this article could be considered for veterinary hospital and/or dealer websites. Further, veterinarians and on-farm representatives might find providing this information valuable for customer retention activities as well as improving the value of vaccines in a herd health regime.