A basic understanding of why core-antigen vaccines are an effective tool during the dry period can help clear up common myths surrounding their usage.

We often take vaccination for granted and think it’s just something we have to do, but we don’t necessarily stop to think about what we are trying to achieve. By vaccinating your cows, you want to keep your herd healthy by preventing some infectious diseases, as well as ensuring productivity and profitability.

Pharmaceutical products (vaccines, antimicrobials, other injectable or oral drugs, fly control products, dewormers, intramammary tubes, teat dips, etc.) represent a large investment that helps decrease incidence of disease, mitigate the severity of disease, and improve animal health and productivity.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought into focus what can happen when a population is exposed to a pathogen – in this case, a virus – that has never been seen by that population before.

On-farm culturing is a useful tool for mastitis management. It allows for faster response to infections, saves money and helps to identify causes to help with prevention, according to Dr. Ginger Fenton, dairy extension educator at Penn State University.

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is still a major cause of sickness and death in young beef and dairy calves. While vaccination remains one of the most effective ways to prevent losses associated with BRD, it’s often assumed that intranasal vaccines are the best approach in younger calves. However, recent research shows that previous perceptions about injectable respiratory vaccines may not be accurate, and that both types of vaccines have a place in BRD prevention.

The numbers don’t lie – mastitis infections in dairy herds are one of the most financially detrimental occurrences that a producer can face. With an estimated $2 billion in losses each year in the U.S. and $400 million in Canada, more preventative and sustainable measures to alleviate mastitis infections are sorely needed.