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MSD Animal Health, the only company in Ireland producing the salmonella vaccine Bovivac S, has confirmed that it is experiencing a shortage in vaccine supply.
We’ve been looking for the vaccine since September
Salmonella is a major cause of abortion and scour in cattle with Teagasc estimating that exposure to salmonella can cost dairy farmers over €11,000 a year.
Calves must be vaccinated at three weeks of age and require a booster shot three weeks after their initial shot, while vaccinated in-calf cows require an annual booster shot three to four weeks before calving.
MSD has reported a vaccine shortage over a number of years, and many farmers are unhappy that they have missed vaccination dates and have to cover the cost of re-vaccinating animals.
Booster injections
Imelda Kinsella, a dairy farmer from Kilkenny, said: “We’ve been looking for the vaccine since September. It’s a shame when a farmer has a vaccination programme in place that we will now have no cover this year. We will now have to go back with booster injections for the whole herd next year, adding extra cost and work.”
The salmonella vaccine Bovivac S is the single biggest animal health product in Ireland, and increased demand due to the expanding dairy herd and improved on-farm vaccination programmes is thought to have led to a shortage in vaccine supply.
A spokesman for MSD told the Irish Farmers Journal: “‘Everything in the manufacture process is pointing towards us having product back in supply by the end of November.
‘‘However, the process of manufacturing vaccines is extremely complicated.”
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