Animal Health
Can Storage of Vaccine
Affect its Efficacy?
By Gant Mourer, Oklahoma State University
Respiratory disease in cattle also known
as BRD, shipping fever, or pneumonia
may cost the U.S. cattle industry over
$2 billion annually (Powell 2013).
Management techniques can offset
much of this cost and having a good
vaccination program can maintain the
health of a calf all the way through
the production system. A vaccine
can cost over $3.00 a head, and if
not stored properly that vaccine can
be rendered in effective. Producers
cannot afford to overlook the
importance of how they store vaccine
and handle it prior to injection.
Biological products should be stored
under refrigeration at 35 to 45 degrees
Fahrenheit unless the nature of the
product makes storing at a different
temperature advisable (APHIS 2007).
If vaccines are not stored within this
temperature range, efficacy to the calf
can and will be reduced. Killed vaccines
are especially susceptible to freezing
temperatures. Freezing a killed vaccine
will alter the adjuvant or delivery
system of a killed vaccine. This, in turn,
negatively affects the immune response
to the antigen in the vaccine. Modified
live viruses (MLV) are more stable but
can be in-activated if they are repeatedly
cycled above or below the required
temperature range (Gunn et al, 2013).
Also, once activated by mixing, MLV’s
effective life will be reduced to one to
two hours and need to be maintained
at the 35 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit. This
can be accomplished by only mixing the
doses that you will use at that time and
use a cooler to maintain temperature
while working cattle.
Researchers from the University
of Arkansas and Idaho analyzed
the consistency of temperatures
for different types, ages and
locations of refrigerators over
Photo by Todd Johnson, Oklahoma State University Cooperative
a 48-hour period. They found
Extension
that only 26.7 percent and 34.0
percent of refrigerators were
How a producer handles vaccine
within the acceptable temperature limit
outside of the refrigerator is important
95 percent of the time, respectfully.
as well. Coolers can easily be modified
Refrigerator location can also effect
for syringes and are important to
temperature. Refrigerators located
maintaining vaccine efficiency chute
in barns (35.6 ⁰F) were colder than in
side. Using a one-and-a-half-inch
mud rooms (41.72 ⁰F) and kitchens
PVC pipe or sink tail piece purchased
(40.82 ⁰F). (Troxel and Barham 2009).
at any hardware store and a one-
Temperature within a 24-hour period
and-a-half-inch hole sa