Reasons Why Strong Calves Start With Spring Vaccinations

Find Out How to Give Calves the Strongest Start

When it comes to giving your calves the best start, it’s important to know the benefits of vaccinations administered in the spring to protect against viral diseases that cause respiratory challenges. Zoetis veterinarians credit spring vaccinations with limiting disease in the summer months, especially pneumonia. Find out about spring vaccinations and how to give your calves the strong start they deserve.

Focus on complete immunity for the calf with spring vaccinations 

It’s never too early to think about a calf’s respiratory health. The steps producers take this spring with young calves not only help protect them through grazing season, but can prepare the calves for a more complete immune response with pre-weaning and weaning booster vaccinations.

“The goal for vaccinating calves in the spring is primarily geared toward limiting disease in the summer months, especially pneumonia when calves are on grass,” says Catherine Maguire, technical services veterinarian with Zoetis. 

Maguire says it is key to protect calves against viral diseases that cause respiratory challenges like bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), infectious bovine respiratory (IBR) disease and parainfluenza 3 (PI₃). 
 
“Respiratory viruses are our primary concern. When we couple Inforce 3^® with One Shot^® BVD, we achieve comprehensive viral protection, in addition to Mannheimia haemolytica protection,” Maguire says. “And that first dose of vaccine for Mannheimia really helps improve the response to the second dose at pre-weaning when bacterial pathogens are a bigger threat.”

Inforce 3 has the unique ability to stimulate a comprehensive local and systemic immune response 
in very young calves, even when antibodies from their dam’s colostrum are still active. This helps Inforce 3 be effective in a wide-ranging age of calves at branding and turnout. 

Following springtime vaccination with an injectable modified-live combination vaccine, like Bovi-Shield Gold One Shot^®, at preweaning or weaning, provides an additive and synergistic immune response for calves prior to entry into feedlots.

Research at North Dakota State University demonstrated a significant (p=0.006) immune response to BRSV in calves given Inforce 3 at approximately 74 days of age, and again when boosted 153 days later with Bovi-Shield Gold One Shot.¹ 

Overall, spring calf vaccinations are the first step in giving calves a strong foundation to meet disease challenges in the future.

For more information on developing a complete calf respiratory program, visit with your veterinarian or Zoetis representative.

_{¹ Stokka GL, Neville B, Seeger JT, Stoltenow C, Dyer N, Gaspers JJ. Evaluation of the serologic effect of concurrent IBR, BRSV, PI3 and Mannheimia vaccination and time interval between the first and second dose on the subsequent serological response to the Mannheimia toxoid and BRSV fractions on spring-born beef calves in North Dakota. North Dakota Beef Report 2014;40-42.}  

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