Questions about using a lungworm vaccine and wormers in cattle

Yes. The vaccine was developed primarily for use in calves. However, we have used it in pregnant adult cattle and there is no reason to believe the vaccine does any harm since we have had no reports of unexpected or adverse effects. The animals should be healthy and if pregnant, the stress of handling should be taken into account.

Yes/No: It would not do any harm. Under certain circumstances it is advisable these days. Farmers should speak to their vet to discuss their own situation.

Yes: It is nearly always best to vaccinate before the 1st season at grass because then animals have immunity at the end of the season to carry over into the 2nd season, regardless of the wormer used. In some circumstances booster vaccination is advisable. Farmers should speak to their vet to discuss their own situation.

Farmers should consult their vet, the following is for Vet information only
No: You should really only use vaccine on healthy animals. The handling involved in administering the vaccine can in itself upset calves with respiratory disease, so better to get them on the road to recovery first. If you do use the vaccine in coughing calves it may make them worse so you have to weigh the risk with the timing of turnout and time available for vaccination.

It is unlikely that the vaccine is to blame. Farmers should consult their vet.
Vets should contact technical support.

Maybe: It depends what kind of ground they're being turned out onto. In order to allow the development of a protective level of immunity cattle should be protected from sources of lungworm infection for a period of 2 weeks after their 2nd dose. In order to do this the only sure way is for animals that have been reared indoors to remain housed, and suckling calves to remain with their dams for this period.

Yes, but! It is important that cattle are turned out to pasture quite quickly to reinforce the initial immunity induced by vaccination. The immunity will not wane significantly if calves are housed for a week or two longer than two weeks after the 2nd dose provided that it is not extended to several weeks.

To ensure immunity the cattle should be re-vaccinated with just a single dose before turnout in the following spring. If there is any doubt about the degree of lungworm exposure received in the first grazing season then a single boosting dose is often a good idea.

Yes: Where lungworm is present on a farm, vaccination of beef calves is advisable and can be given at pasture from 8 weeks of age. The 2nd dose should be given at least 2 weeks before weaning.

Yes; but they should only be a week or so younger and you must only vaccinate healthy calves.

Yes! It is essential for calves to receive 2 doses, a single dose will not protect. When re-vaccinating a single booster is often adequate.

Because unvaccinated stock may be infected with lungworm and as a result produce very high levels of pasture contamination that could overwhelm the immunity of the vaccinated animals. However, it is not good to continually keep calves on clean pasture eg aftermath. Better to start calves off on permanent pasture that was grazed by calves or adults last year.

You may leave from 3 - 6 weeks between doses. The vaccine is valid until the expiry date, but beware of separating doses too far apart.

Yes: It is nearly always best to vaccinate before the 1st season at grass because then animals have immunity at the end of the season to carry over into the 2nd season, regardless of the wormer used. In some circumstances booster vaccination is advisable. Farmers should speak to their vet to discuss their own situation.

Worming preparations will kill the vaccine larvae. Killed larvae will not produce any protective immunity. The minimum time between 2nd vaccination and worming is 2 weeks if the worming is given second. If wormers have been given prior to vaccination then refer to the duration of activity of the wormer.

As the vaccine is a suspension in water, the irradiated larvae in the vaccine settles out quickly. Each vial should therefore be shaken immediately before administration..

The vaccine contains living lungworm larvae that have a limited life span. At normal room temperature their lifespan is reduced but at cooler temperatures (2-6°C) it is prolonged. However DO NOT FREEZE the vaccine. If the vaccine is left out of the fridge for 1 day there SHOULDN'T be a problem - no longer though.