Footvax footrot vaccine for sheep | bacteroides nodosus-Hyperdrug

Dosage and administration Dose 1 ml. Administration By subcutaneous injection. The site for injection is on the side of the neck 2–3 inches behind the ear. Thoroughly shake the vaccine before use. As the vaccine contains an oil adjuvant it is rather viscous. It will aid administration in cold weather if the vaccine is gently warmed by immersion in warm water (not hot) for 3–4 minutes before use. Vaccination programmes These should be tailored to meet individual flock requirements which will vary from season to season according to the actual or likely incidence of footrot. Wherever possible `whole flock' vaccination programmes should be adopted. By this means disease incidence in the flock will decline and subsequent disease risk from the environment will be greatly reduced. Prevention programme Commence vaccination with a single dose of vaccine. Further doses of vaccine will be required according to the flock disease status and/or the climatic conditions. If, after 4–6 weeks significant levels of disease remain in the flock or climatic conditions conducive to footrot persist administer a further dose, otherwise delay this dose until conditions favour re-emergence of the disease. Subsequent doses should also be administered according to prevailing conditions. Thus with severe and constant disease challenge, revaccination may be necessary at 4–5 monthly intervals; conversely under favourable conditions revaccination may be delayed until the incidence of disease challenge increases or climatic conditions worsen. It should be noted that these adverse conditions tend to occur in the UK between March and May and between October and December thus vaccination should normally be completed shortly before these periods if problems are anticipated. Lambs can be vaccinated from 4 weeks of age. Treatment programme A single dose of vaccine should be given to the flock immediately the disease becomes apparent. For maximum effect, treatment with Footvax should be combined with the use of a foot-bath, hoof-paring and antibiotic treatment. Revaccination should be as stated in the prevention programme, which should then be continued on the farm as the key element of the overall flock foot care programme.

Contra-indications, warnings, etc Contra-indications It is not advisable to vaccinate sheep within 6–8 weeks of shearing. Sheep destined for show or sale should not be vaccinated within the previous 6 months because of possible severe local reactions. Such reactions may produce local pigment changes in the wool. Do not use in lactating dairy sheep. Warnings and precautions Syringes and needles should be sterilised before use and the injection made through an area of clean, dry skin, taking strict precautions against contamination in order to reduce the possibility of abscess formation. Partially used containers of this vaccine should be discarded at the end of the day's operations by burial or incineration. The very occasional animal may, as a result of an immunological incompetence, or for some other reason, fail to respond to vaccination. It is preferable to avoid vaccinating ewes in the period of 4 weeks before lambing to 4 weeks after lambing. Operator warning To the User If you inject yourself accidentally with this product, go at once to the nearest Accident and Emergency (Casualty) Department of a hospital and show the information printed below to the doctor (or nurse) on duty. To the Doctor Accidental self-injection with this oil-based product can cause intense vascular spasm which may, for example, result in the loss of a digit. Expert PROMPT surgical attention is required and may necessitate early incision and irrigation of the injected area, especially where there is involvement of muscle, tendon sheaths or joint capsules. Side-effects As with all vaccines occasional hypersensitivity reactions may occur. In such cases, appropriate treatment such as adrenalin should be administered without delay. The oil in the vaccine may cause a reaction at the site of injection which may be mild and resolve over a period of 6–7 weeks. Occasionally, however, these swellings may be large, painful and unsightly, with the formation of abscesses which may burst and discharge, particularly if any contaminating skin bacteria are introduced at the time of injection. On rare occasions variable incidence of generalised lameness has been reported in vaccinated sheep. This is thought to be due to a local immunological reaction in the feet and is transitory in nature, occurring within 24 hours of vaccination and normally persisting for no more than 48 hours. Treatment is seldom necessary. Pharmaceutical precautions Store between +2°C and +8°C, protected from light. Do not freeze.

Legal category POM-VPS (previously PML). Packaging Quantities 20 ml, 50 ml and 250 ml. Further information Where Footvax has been used as a part of an overall flock foot care programme, it will usually be found that footrot is substantially eliminated from the flock. One or two animals may remain chronically affected and these animals should either be treated intensively to eliminate the footrot or preferably be culled from the flock. By taking this action the dangers of re-infection will be reduced and the selective establishment of abnormal serotypes on a property will be avoided. Footvax will only aid in controlling foot disease due to Bacteroides nodosus and will not prevent lameness due to conditions such as scald, foot abscesses, deformed feet or foot injuries. In any animal population there may be a small number of individuals which fail to respond fully to vaccination. Successful vaccination depends upon correct storage and administration of the vaccine together with the animal's ability to respond. This can be influenced by such factors as genetic constitution, intercurrent infection, age, the presence of maternally-derived antibodies, nutritional status, concurrent drug therapy and stress. Marketing authorisation number Vm 00201/4212.