NOAH has launched a campaign to promote the Livestock Vaccination Guideline to ensure that farmers across the UK can benefit from a preventative health approach to livestock vaccination.
This campaign aims to make the most of the great potential of vaccines to help improve animal welfare, increase the productivity of the UK’s national herd and flock and positively impact the sustainability of the agricultural sector by supporting industry professionals with the information they need to make decisions on vaccinating their animals.
Farming, veterinary and industry professionals are invited to sign up to pledge their support for the Livestock Vaccination Guideline, which promotes a shift in how vaccines are used by the dairy, beef and sheep sectors.
The knowledge from the Livestock Vaccination Guideline has been distilled into on-farm guides for the dairy, beef and sheep sectors which will be provided to those who sign up to the pledge at www.noahlvg.co.uk. Supporters will be asked to commit to sharing and implementing the Guideline to help fully realise the benefits of a preventive health approach.
Vaccination plays a vital role in ‘One Health’, a concept that encompasses the interaction between animal health, human health and the environment. Several vaccines which are championed in the guideline (for example those against salmonellosis, leptospirosis and ringworm) also act as a safeguard to protect human health by reducing the risk of zoonotic infection, helping to lower disease levels and reducing the overall risk to animals and humans alike. A strategic approach to vaccination is very much at the heart of a holistic approach to preventing disease as part of progressive herd and flock health management.
This NOAH Guideline supports UK animal health and welfare ambitions, food security and safety and advances the competitiveness of the produce from our livestock – benefitting the overall health status of the UK herd and flock as well as contributing to the health, welfare and resilience of individual farms.
Dawn Howard, chief executive of NOAH, said: “A strategic and industry wide approach to vaccinating livestock is an important part of ensuring that our animals are healthy. Healthy animals means better welfare, higher productivity and more sustainable farming.
“We know that those who are choosing to vaccinate and carrying out the vaccinations on farm need handy resources to make the decisions easier and quicker on-farm. That’s why NOAH has teamed up with veterinary experts to create the Livestock Vaccination Guideline, and distil it into short sector specific guides that bring key clinical experience and research together to demonstrate current thinking and best practice on a proactive approach to vaccination.”
Mrs Howard continued: “These documents will enable vets, SQPs and farmers to work together to improve farm resilience, prevent zoonotic diseases and ensure the future prosperity of the sector. Healthy, vaccinated animals are more likely to stay well, produce more and are less likely to require antibiotic treatment. We are aiming to change the mind set and approach towards proactive vaccination strategies on farms.
“By bringing the UK sheep, beef and dairy sectors together with a common commitment to livestock vaccination as set out in the guideline we hope to fully realise the benefits of the preventive health approach – both on individual farms and in the UK livestock population as a whole.
“We continue to be grateful to our authors Jonathan Statham, Fiona Lovatt and Joe Henry for their extensive work in bringing together the insight and expertise needed for this comprehensive document and the associated guides.”
The Livestock Vaccination Guideline is available HERE.
