Vaccination protects farm animals from painful diseases and reduces reliance on antibiotics. Well-designed vaccination programmes deliver significant welfare benefits while supporting sustainable livestock production.
Vaccination is one of the most cost-effective welfare interventions available in livestock farming. Preventing disease prevents suffering — the calculation is straightforward. Farms with comprehensive vaccination programmes have lower mortality, lower morbidity, and reduced need for antibiotic treatment. The welfare benefits extend beyond the vaccinated individual: reducing disease prevalence in a herd or flock protects all group members. Vaccination programmes also reduce the risk of disease outbreaks requiring mass culling — one of the most severe welfare events in modern agriculture. Supporting investment in vaccination infrastructure, particularly in low-income countries, is a high-impact animal welfare and food security priority.