3.4 Vaccination

Veterinarians should recognize that not all O/A farmers—nor conventional producers—are keen on the routine use of vaccines. This provides an excellent opportunity for discussion and clear communication between veterinarians, farmers, and ranchers to learn, understand, and be sensitive to each other’s views (Coffey & Baier, 2012; Marbleseed Guide for Organic Livestock Production 7th Edition).

In general, organic and alternative farmers believe that access to the outdoors, reduced stress, good nutrition through healthy soil and high-quality forage (species-appropriate diets), good sanitation, and no overcrowding—all the prevention activities discussed above, promote natural immunity and decrease the risk of disease in their animals.

As a result, some use and some don’t use vaccines. In general, O/A livestock farmers often prefer to limit vaccination to disease agents that present explicit threats to their animal’s health and provide a greater cost-benefit ratio. Examples include vaccines for respiratory viruses and Clostridial vaccines in cattle. They also may use vaccines for diseases they have had in their herds or know are in the area (e.g., leptospirosis). Some believe vaccines are good for disease prevention but choose not to rely on them, believing that vaccination doesn’t make up for poor management and can hide genetic weaknesses in resistance/susceptibility that would otherwise show up).  Some have never vaccinated, haven’t had a problem, and see no reason to start now. In a recent study, some organic dairy farmers said they were open to vaccination in the future if they have a problem but don’t worry about it now (Brock et al., 2021; Karreman, 2016).

The reasons for the use and non-use of vaccines are various and complex. They include fear of side effects, effectiveness, and safety.  Some reasons for not vaccinating included displeasure at the physical act of giving vaccines, especially a series of vaccine doses. However, this study also found that some had not thought about it or got around to thinking about implementing vaccine protocols (Brock et al., 2021). This makes it important to communicate about vaccination with O/A farmers and ranchers and why they may not vaccinate.

Traditional Vaccines

Many traditional vaccines, modified live (MLV) and killed, are available for livestock. They vary in effectiveness, timing, number of doses, and necessity in a particular geographical area. Vaccines can be a confusing topic for any farmer/rancher, traditional or alternative, and warrant a full discussion if the farmer is willing. New vaccines are continuously being developed, some of which may be created using methods or materials that make their use questionable under NOP rules. This remains an evolving area of concern that should be kept in mind by veterinarians and farmers as they consider which vaccines to use in their herds. Some vaccines also contain antibiotics. As always, the farm’s organic certifier should be consulted on any new vaccine and will be aware of appropriate current allowances or restrictions. For more information, see the 2019 NOSB Livestock Subcommittee Proposal [PDF].

Autogenous Vaccines

Autogenous vaccines are vaccines made from a particular herd and highly specific to the bug affecting the herd. These act as an alternative to commercial vaccines and were heavily relied upon in the days before antibiotics. They have been seen to work well in organic herds continually challenged by, for example, staphylococcus aureus mastitis (Karreman, Vaccination, and Organic Cow Care). Autogenous vaccines are a quick alternative to commercial vaccines for novel emerging diseases or those that mutate or have high antigenic variability. However, they are only safety tested and not tested for efficacy.

Nosodes

Nosodes are homeopathic remedies prepared from a disease product (e.g., infected tissue, disease discharges, and causal organisms [Schoen & Wynn, 1997]). Like autogenous vaccines, they are made from diseased animals in the herd (Schoen & Wynn, 1997). The use of nosodes for immunization is controversial. Nosodes work at an energetic level, and the body’s response cannot be measured in the laboratory, as can conventional vaccines’ cellular and humoral responses. While nosodes have not been proven unsafe to use, their effectiveness has not yet been proven. Their use by farmers and ranchers has shown mixed results. They have been used as preventatives but may best be used at the start of a disease outbreak. Herpes, mastitis, and ringworm are diseases that farmers/ranchers and veterinarians have had success with when using nosodes. Pink eye nosodes have also been used successfully and can be placed in the water tank (Jodarski, 2008).

Vaccines are allowed and encouraged under the National Organic Program (NOP) guidelines. If a farmer/rancher is open to discussing conventional vaccine use—this is a pivotal prevention moment, and veterinarians should be closely involved in designing a vaccine program tailored to the specific farm/ranch and its disease risk. Many certifiers request that veterinarians make vaccination recommendations for O/A farmers and ranchers in the local area.

Reminding farmers and ranchers about the spread of disease off their land might be a good idea. Vaccines can do more than protect the animal being vaccinated. The fewer animals shedding pathogens into the environment, the fewer animals or people will spread disease to other areas. A good example is BVD, a very common disease in cattle that is easily spread by infected animals or people moving between farms with cattle. Regular vaccination can be an important tool in a disease prevention program that considers neighbors and one’s own farm. Vaccines also help protect livestock from some diseases they share with wildlife, including brucellosis and BVD.