Poultry production: Why vaccines don't always protect your chickens

Question: Why do vaccines sometimes not protect chickens?

The handling and storage of “live” vaccines is very important.
Remember that these vaccines contain live viruses or bacteria.
Very specific temperatures must be adhered to when storing vaccines, or they will be damaged.
They should not be exposed to direct sunlight or disinfectants, as this can destroy them.
For each application, make sure every chicken receives a dose of vaccine.
This is important as any chickens not vaccinated will not be immunised, and this will result in their being susceptible to field challenges.
Even if they are correctly applied and contain the appropriate antigen to the field pathogens, vaccines do not necessarily provide total protection against disease because there are many variables.
The farmer should, therefore, follow the correct procedures when developing and implementing a vaccination programme.

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

Poultry production: Why vaccines don’t always protect your chickens