A vaccine for ringworm, Bovilis Ringvac, is now available on the Irish market. The live vaccine is licensed for active immunisation of cattle to reduce clinical signs of ringworm and also to shorten the recovery time of infected cattle showing clinical signs of ringworm.

Product guidelines advise initially vaccinating the whole herd with a two-course treatment, administered 10 to 14 days apart. After this, closed herds only need to vaccinate young calves from two weeks of age followed by a second booster injection.

For those buying in stock, the advice is to carry out a full vaccination course on entry to the herd with no subsequent doses required. The onset of immunity is listed as three weeks after completion of the course.

Bovilis Ringvac is a prescription-only medicine, meaning it is only available on prescription from your veterinary surgeon/practice. The recommended dose rate is 2ml in calves aged from two weeks to four months, which costs in the region of €5 per calf dose. A higher dosage rate is required in older and mature animals which will make the treatment more expensive.

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