The paper looks at the scientific evidence in favour of preventative healthcare.

New white paper aims to lift vaccination rates

A new white paper has been launched that aims to lift vaccination rates and help reduce the use of antibiotics.

Launched by MSD Animal Health, Time to Vaccinate - Looking Beyond Antibiotics - is a collaboration between leading independent animal health experts. The paper looks at the scientific evidence in favour of preventative healthcare and calls on policymakers to support the industry in looking beyond antibiotics.

Dr Paul Williams, from MSD Animal Health, explains. “Antimicrobial resistance has been widely highlighted as one of the urgent problems of our time. Alongside the medical profession, livestock farming has a part to play in curtailing the speed at which resistant microorganisms develop. The farming community is working hard to find more effective ways to reduce disease without compromising animal welfare, and in turn, increasing productivity.

“To do this, the industry must focus on disease prevention, not disease treatment. This is achieved through high standards of biosecurity to reduce disease entering farms, good management, husbandry and hygiene practices and the focus of this paper – vaccination.”

He continues: “The success of vaccination in preventing disease has significant potential to reduce antibiotic use, as has already been well demonstrated in the pig, poultry and aquaculture industries. With low penetration rates in the other livestock sectors at the moment, we hope the Time to Vaccinate initiative helps farmers and their veterinary surgeons make informed decisions about vaccination as part of their overall animal health plans.”

The paper includes a foreword by John FitzGerald, secretary general of the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) Alliance. Mr Fitzgerald comments: “Vaccines are vital components in preventing a wide variety of diseases and a key tool in reducing antibiotic use.”