Farm Animals

Pig PRRS Vaccine Advanced Welfare

PRRS vaccines have transformed disease management on affected farms, though limitations in cross-protection remain a welfare challenge.

Key Facts

PRRS vaccines provide good protection against homologous strains but variable cross-protection
Modified live vaccines confer broader immunity than killed vaccines but carry some reversion risk
Vaccination of breeding herds protects neonatal piglets through colostrum antibodies
Herd closure combined with vaccination achieves PRRS negative status in some controlled environments
New generation PRRS vaccines using recombinant or mRNA technology show improved cross-protection

Welfare Considerations

PRRS vaccination substantially reduces the duration and severity of disease-related suffering on affected farms. Advances in vaccine technology offer hope for better cross-protection that would further reduce welfare costs.

What You Can Do

Support farms with documented PRRS vaccination programs in endemic areas
Advocate for investment in next-generation PRRS vaccine research
Choose pork from farms with demonstrated PRRS management and monitoring protocols