Livestock plays important role in rural economics. Every farmer rear at least 1 or 2 ruminants for regular income. It is necessary to maintain health of the animals for continual production potential. Preventive health care strategies involve regular physical examination, essential deworming, timely vaccination and daily watch.
Preventive vaccinations regularly essential to avoid spread of diseases in native and non-descript animals. Vaccines against bacterial and viral agents are to be attempted timely. Vaccines against parasitic diseases are used in specific areas, where crossbred populations are more.
There are important considerations for attempting preventive vaccination in ruminants like, prevent occurrence of disease, support disease control, develope herd immunity.
Vaccination is expected in healthy animals as per recommended schedule with cold chain maintenance for vaccine. Vaccinations are to be attempted with disposable sterile syringe and needles. Proper Record Keeping of vaccination and its booster dose is necessary.
Routine vaccination is considered as prophylactic vaccination. Strategic vaccination is attempted when outbreaks are expected. Ring vaccination is block vaccination to protect animals from particular area. Mass vaccination is at a time campaign for all states. Targeted vaccination is attempted only in specific high risk animals.
Monsoon is favourable season for spread of the diseases. Water is good medium for multiplication of microorganisms. Spread of the disease is faster in monsoon. Adverse climatic condition increases body stress. Under the circumstances, timely vaccinations are designed to protect animals.
Hemorrhagic Septicemia (H.S.) (Ghtsarp) and Black Quarter (BQ) (Farrya) are bacterial diseases and combined preventive vaccination against these diseases is attempted before monsoon, generally in last week of May or first week of June every year. Immunity is developed in a fortnight and persists for one year in ruminants.
Foot and mouth disease is a highly contagious viral disease. Vaccination against FMD (Foot and mouth disease) is recommended twice in a year, as March and September shots. India has attempted very regular schedule of vaccination against FMD (Foot and mouth disease), and the country is very close to FMD (Foot and mouth disease) free status.
Brucellosis vaccination is attempted only once in heifers at the age of 4 to 6 months.
As soon as the first patient of an epidemic is recorded, mandatory vaccinations against various bacterial and viral diseases should be administered immediately.
Annual preventive doors of vaccination against rabies are useful as a preventive strategy. But post dog bite vaccination, immediately after bite necessitates completion of vaccination schedule. Tetanus prevention is recommended as preventive measure after each injury and needs to be followed necessarily.
Deworming of animals a week before vaccination is always a good managemental practice to provide suitable health after vaccination for development of strong immunity against the disease. Deworming attempt is recommended only after sample examination of dung.
Fever after vaccination is most likely to occur for a short period, but it is strong indication of immunity development. Swelling at the site of vaccination are evident, but need no care. Ration and routine of animals should be monitored for a week after vaccination.
There are risk factors involved, if vaccination is not attempted in ruminants. Handling of vaccine doses scientifically is highly essential. Vaccinated animals can be affected by the disease, is contamination occurs before development of body immunity.
Vaccination improves chances of safety against diseases, boosts productivity, regularises reproductive activity and maintains body score core condition. Propaganda of vaccination is equally important by the farmers to create awareness amongst rural poor.