Dosage and rules for administering inactivated vaccines

Bapak Fajar Setyo
Malang-East Java

I am a chicken farmer layer, I would like to inquire regarding vaccinations as follows:

1. The remaining inactivated vaccine that has been used can still be stored until the time limit is valid or until it expires?
2. The use of the vaccine more than 2 times the dose, does it affect chickens?

Answer :

Dear. Mr. Dawn Setyo, thank you for the question. Here's an explanation for your question :

1. The remaining inactivated vaccine that has been used cannot be stored again until the deadline is valid (until the expiry date) and must be used up within 24 hours, because :

• The vaccine contains attenuated/killed microorganisms and is formulated in such a way that it is used as an artificial infection that controlled (vaccination). Because the vaccine contains microorganisms, it must be stored in a stable temperature of 2-8°C and before use must be in-thawing. Thawing is the process of increasing the temperature of the vaccine gradually which aims to condition the temperature of the vaccine to a room temperature of 24-32⁰C / close to chicken body temperature is then used immediately and should be used up within 24 hours. Once done thawing should not be placed/ stored back at temperatures 2-8⁰C, because there will be temperature fluctuations that can damage the potential of microorganisms in the vaccine.
• The vaccine that will be introduced into the chicken's body must be in sterile conditions. Inactivated vaccines that have been unsealed and needles have been pierced, the vaccine has been in contact with outside air so that it is no longer sterile and is not allowed to be stored again at a temperature of 2-8 °C / after more than 24 hours.

In the use of inactivated vaccines, if there is a residue, it should not be used again in the next vaccination. The vaccine must be used up within 24 hours. Because it is feared that the condition of the vaccine is not sterile and has undergone changes in the potential of the vaccine.

2. Before answering the question, we explain in advance that the vaccine before being marketed must pass a series of quality tests by the quality control, one of them is safety test. The vaccine is said to be safe to be given to birds if the vaccine does not cause symptoms of both general and specific diseases (according to the virus contained).

Vaccination with 2 times the dose does not negatively affect chickens. The ability to stimulate the formation of antibodies will not differ significantly from the vaccination record carried out according to the correct procedure. Therefore, the administration of the vaccine should be carried out according to the rules of use listed in leaflet. The formation of antibodies as a result of vaccination is strongly influenced by several factors:

• Condition of chickens when vaccinated. Chickens that are stressed or in the incubation period of diseases, especially diseases immunosuppressive such as gumboro and mycotoxicosis will result in immunity that is formed will not be optimal
• The vaccination procedure must be done correctly and appropriately starting from the handling of the vaccine when taken to the cage to the procedure for vaccine application in chickens. The vaccination procedure that needs to be considered is that when brought to the cage the vaccine must be stored at a temperature of 2-8^oC, before use do thawing, the dose of vaccine that enters the chickens should be a full dose, no unvaccinated chickens, vaccinations are carried out in a shaded place, away from heaters (brooder) and not exposed to direct sunlight.
• Good maintenance practices will affect the chickens that live in it and will indirectly affect the response of chickens to the results of vaccination.

So we suggest that giving the vaccine 1 dose only gives effective results compared to giving 2 doses which will increase costs.