Vaccine availability??
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tom4018
Dumb Old Farmer
Everywhere I look it is unavailable.
Buck Randall
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Production issues...
Katpau
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We just got in a small supply of ViraShield at our local Farmers Coop, but the kind with Vibrio or Lepto added is not available, and they have no idea when it will be. I really need the Lepto vaccine with Hardjo Bovis in this area.
I have used ViraShield VL5 HB on the cows for years, mostly because the Modified Live is so limited on when it can be used. This year we went ahead and vaccinated with Bovi-Shield Gold FP5 VL5 a modified live vaccine. I had thought you couldn't use MLV when cows are pregnant or when they have calves on them, unless they were vaccinated with a MLV as heifers. Cows are always pregnant or nursing, so it seemed like it was impossible to ever use MLV. My Vet assured me that since the cows have been vaccinated regularly with a killed vaccine that included all of the same things, it was safe to vaccinate with a MLV 30 days prior to bull turnout. I had used a MLV vaccine on heifers since 2021, but most cows had never been exposed to a MLV. I will now be able to use MLV on all cows from now on, since they will always be within 12 months of their last vaccination with MLV.
I have used ViraShield VL5 HB on the cows for years, mostly because the Modified Live is so limited on when it can be used. This year we went ahead and vaccinated with Bovi-Shield Gold FP5 VL5 a modified live vaccine. I had thought you couldn't use MLV when cows are pregnant or when they have calves on them, unless they were vaccinated with a MLV as heifers. Cows are always pregnant or nursing, so it seemed like it was impossible to ever use MLV. My Vet assured me that since the cows have been vaccinated regularly with a killed vaccine that included all of the same things, it was safe to vaccinate with a MLV 30 days prior to bull turnout. I had used a MLV vaccine on heifers since 2021, but most cows had never been exposed to a MLV. I will now be able to use MLV on all cows from now on, since they will always be within 12 months of their last vaccination with MLV.
Could this related to the soon to be "prescription required" thing?
Dusty Britches
Well-known member
Our Co-Op just got in a limited supply too and I lucked out - they had the variant that I needed. VL6 HB + Somnus.
Katpu - I hope your vet is correct. I lost 2 late terms calves when I did that. No more.
Katpu - I hope your vet is correct. I lost 2 late terms calves when I did that. No more.
Dusty Britches
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No. That was antibiotics only. And that hasn't taken effect yet.
Son of Butch
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Wrong. Your information must come from someone with a reading comprehension problem.
MLV vaccines are not to be used in calves if nursing on cows that have never been vaccinated with the MLV vaccine.
MLV vaccines are not to be used in pregnant cows or heifers.
You can vaccinate an Open cow with a MLV whether a calf is nursing or even if the milk is used for human consumption.
Silver
Well-known member
You got that almost correct.
simme
Old Dumb Guy
I use Zoetis Bovi-Shield Gold vaccines (MLV) on pregnant cows. Here is the information direct from the manufacturer.
"Do not use in pregnant cattle (abortions can result) unless they were vaccinated, according to label directions, with any BOVI-SHIELD GOLD FP or PREGGUARD GOLD FP vaccine prebreeding initially and within 12 months thereafter. Do not use in calves nursing pregnant cows unless their dams were vaccinated within the past 12 months as described above. To help ensure safety in pregnant cattle, heifers must receive at least 2 doses of any BOVI-SHIELD GOLD FP or PREGGUARD GOLD FP vaccine with the second dose administered at least 30 days prebreeding."
So, I use MLV's for the calves (including replacements) and vaccinate cows yearly whether pregnant or not.
My advice is to read the label - on vaccines and herbicides and probably some other things.
"Do not use in pregnant cattle (abortions can result) unless they were vaccinated, according to label directions, with any BOVI-SHIELD GOLD FP or PREGGUARD GOLD FP vaccine prebreeding initially and within 12 months thereafter. Do not use in calves nursing pregnant cows unless their dams were vaccinated within the past 12 months as described above. To help ensure safety in pregnant cattle, heifers must receive at least 2 doses of any BOVI-SHIELD GOLD FP or PREGGUARD GOLD FP vaccine with the second dose administered at least 30 days prebreeding."
So, I use MLV's for the calves (including replacements) and vaccinate cows yearly whether pregnant or not.
My advice is to read the label - on vaccines and herbicides and probably some other things.
Katpau
Well-known member
My belief that you can't vaccinate cows when they are pregnant or nursing came from my own interpretation of things I had read or heard in the past. So I guess I was the one with the reading comprehension problem.
I have no one else to blame. I heard "pregnant cow, nursing calves" and that caused me to be over cautious. I was also concerned about mixing the live vaccine and working fast enough to keep it viable. We ended up buying it all in 10 dose vials, so we did not have to hurry. We could just bring up 10 at a time.Katpau
Well-known member
None of these cows are PG. The bulls won't go in until the middle of May and the last 2023 calf was born the end of March.
Ebenezer
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Watch the timing of prebreeding vaccinations. They can cause delayed breeding- MLVs for a longer time than KVs; Even MLVs even in heifers. Just read about that a few months ago. The concern I'd have on MLVs and preg cows is the efficacy rate of prior vaccinations. If the prior vaccinations didn't take, then the cow would be sort of set up to fail. The speaker at one of the last meetings I went to on vaccines said that the efficacy rate averages 85% so that leaves 15% vulnerable.
puzzled in oregon
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This may help
SBMF 2015
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If the cows were vaccinated as open and boostered annually then you can use certain MLV. The BoviShield Gold 5 product line was the first to market FP (fetal protection) . I use MLV vaccines on all my cow and calves. Cheaper vaccine with better immunity.
My hfrs are vaccinated prebreeding and boostered as cows at preg check time or turn out or both depending on the group.
puzzled in oregon
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I have been trying to locate Vira Shield 6 +VL5 Somnus, I can order it from one place
shipping cost is $40.00 for three or four bottles of vaccine.
shipping cost is $40.00 for three or four bottles of vaccine.
Son of Butch
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Explanation please.
Silver
Well-known member
It was explained in the posts following mine. But you asked so:
MLV's are safe to use on cattle that are not naïve. So, vaccinate pre-breeding according to label directions with MLV to safely use MLV's during pregnancy.
Just got back from the vet and while they currently only have some Vira Shield products, if they can't get Vira Shield VL5+HB Sommus (which is what I use) by the time I work cattle in May, they can "supplement" with other vaccines that target Lepto, etc. BoviShield Gold is another possible option, even though it's a mod live.
