Strategic vaccination for healthy livestock

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 21

Effective and strategic vaccination programme need to be followed to have healthy and productive livestock unit along with the prevention and control of diseases. These views were expressed by Dr CK Singh, in-charge, Animal Disease Research Centre.

He said commonly, most of the livestock rearers and entrepreneurs associated with livestock farming were ignorant about the proper immunization. A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease.

Important infectious diseases of cattle and buffaloes which require vaccination include foot and mouth disease (FMD), hemorrhagic septicemia (HS), brucellosis, black quarter (BQ), theileriosis and rabies. The age of first dose of vaccine against FMD is four months and above, booster dose is given after one month and subsequently repeated after six months. In case of HS, first dose is given at six months or above and, thereafter, repeat after every six months. Brucellosis vaccine is given at the age of 4-8 months in female calves only, once in lifetime.