Question: Can water quality have a negative effect on vaccines used for poultry?

• There’s no negative effect on the “killed/inactivated” (oil emulsion) vaccines, applied as intra-muscular or subcutaneous injections.
• Water quality becomes very important, however, when “live” vaccines are used.
• Excessively hard water, or water that contains a lot of organic matter, will result in a poor response to vaccines because the minerals and the organic matter can bind with them.
• This also applies to water stored in rusty water tanks.
• Remember that when water’s been chlorinated, vaccines can be totally neutralised.
• That’s why there are a number of products available to neutralise chlorine.
• Even skimmed milk powder can be used successfully.
• If possible, stop chlorination for 24 hours before and 24 hours after vaccination.
• Use distilled water for a spray application of a live vaccine, or boil the water for about 10 minutes and allow it to cool completely before using.

Also read: The difference between live and inactivated vaccines

• This article was written by Dr. Mick Versfeld and first appeared in Farming SA.