Mark Johnson, Oklahoma State University Extension Beef Cattle Breeding Specialist, offers herd health advice as part of the weekly series known as the “Cow Calf Corner,” published electronically by Dr. Derrell Peel, Johnson, and Paul Beck. Today, Johnson discusses proper storage and handling of vaccines.
Bovine Respiratory Disease in cattle (also known as BRD, shipping fever or pneumonia), costs the U.S. cattle industry in excess of $2 billion annually. A proper vaccination program, applied before calves leave the ranch of origin, can reduce the incidence of BRD and is a key management practice in maintaining the health of a calf all the way through the production system. A vaccine can be rendered ineffective if not stored, handled and administered properly. Therefore, producers need to have a system in place to properly store and handle vaccines prior to administration.
Vaccines should always be refrigerated at 35 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit unless the nature of the product makes storing at a different temperature advisable. Vaccines should also be kept out of direct sunlight.
Chute side vaccine storage during the day of vaccination, is easy to overlook, especially when working large groups of calves during the spring and summer. However, with some planning and time spent in construction, an easy, cost-effective solution is readily available. Building a vaccine/syringe cooler to use while processing livestock may not only help maintain vaccine temperature, but also keep vaccine and syringes out of direct sunlight. All of the materials to assemble a vaccine cooler can be purchased at a local hardware store for around $35. A chute side vaccination cooler can be easily cleaned and is built so that syringes and needles do not come in contact with other contents of the cooler. The size of the cooler and configuration of the syringe holsters can be modified to meet producer’s specific needs. More details about construction and materials needed for a chute side cooler are available in the fact sheet referenced below.
Reference: https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/chute-side-vaccine-cooler.html
