Farm Animal Welfare

Cattle Respiratory Vaccine Welfare Benefits

Vaccination programmes for bovine respiratory disease pathogens significantly reduce disease burden and welfare costs.

Key Facts

Vaccines against IBR, BRSV, BPI3 and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae reduce respiratory disease incidence
Intranasal vaccines can be administered very early in life providing maternal antibody-independent protection
Combination vaccines reduce the stress of multiple separate administrations
Vaccination reduces antibiotic use by preventing the diseases that require treatment
Cost-benefit analyses consistently show vaccination programmes are economically justified alongside welfare benefits

Welfare Considerations

Respiratory vaccination is one of the highest welfare-return investments in cattle production. Preventing respiratory disease avoids the suffering associated with fever, difficulty breathing and secondary infections. The combination of welfare and economic benefits makes vaccination a compelling priority.

What You Can Do

Develop a herd vaccination programme with your vet for the respiratory pathogens relevant to your system
Implement early vaccination before high-risk periods such as housing and weaning
Track respiratory disease incidence before and after vaccination to demonstrate welfare improvement