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Historically, swine diseases have been prevented via the intramuscular injection of vaccines or the administration of antimicrobials in preventive or therapeutic programs. More recently, the availability and use of oral vaccines via pigs’ drinking water has become increasingly popular with swine veterinarians and producers as an eff ective way to inoculate large numbers of animals more conveniently, while eliminating animal stress and problems associated with injections.

In addition, the use of oral vaccines allows producers to be more proactive in managing swine diseases than relying strictly on an antibiotic program to control or treat symptoms in the presence of infection.

“We had been in a treatment phase for swine diseases such as ileitis, not a preventive phase,” says Kevin Rasmussen, who has a 700-sow farrow-to-fi nish operation near Goldfi eld, Iowa. “We were using feed-grade antibiotics and not having very good results.”

Switching from medication to vaccination for disease control in general, however, can present several challenges, such as added stress on pigs from injections and worker safety concerns. Th e development of convenient, eff ective oral vaccines for ileitis, salmonella, erysipelas and other diseases has addressed many of these issues, making it far less challenging, more eff ective and economical to vaccinate pigs against disease than to treat with antibiotics aft er symptoms appear.

“We now use three diff erent oral vaccines and get along great,” Rasmussen adds. “With oral vaccine, there is less stress on pigs and less stress on workers.”

Oral vaccination is the best way to treat a large number of pigs consistently and effi ciently, adds Matt Anderson, DVM, of Suidae Health & Production in Algona, Iowa.

“Certainly, convenience is a big advantage of oral vaccines,” he said. “With a large population, it makes a lot of sense. Oral vaccination also decreases stress trauma, because it eliminates the process of restraining or moving pigs and poking pigs with a needle.”

Administering vaccines orally, through drinking water, provides excellent disease protection while eliminating the problems associated with injections. Oral vaccination offers numerous benefits including: convenience; efficiency in treating hundreds, even thousands, of pigs; reduced administrative costs; reduced labor expenses; no needle damage that reduces meat quality; worker safety; and compliance with Pork Quality Assurance guidelines.

Both Rasmussen and Anderson emphasize the importance of using oral vaccine properly to optimize results. First, it is not a remedy for poor sanitation or nutrition. No vaccine can consistently protect pigs whose immune systems are weakened by environmental stress or inadequate nutrition.

Second, proper sanitation practices are essential. “You can’t use the same stock solution container that you use with other medications,” Rasmussen says. Also make sure the drinking water is chlorine-free.

Third, carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions for handling the vaccine. “With an oral, live vaccine, it is important to preserve the antigen mass through delivery and handling on the farm,” Anderson explains. “It must be handled properly from the time you take it out of the packaging until the time it goes into the pig.”

Fourth, and perhaps most important, is proper vaccination timing. The vaccine should be administered before exposure to disease. Consult your veterinarian for assistance on when to vaccinate. Rasmussen adds, “Vaccine, hands-down, is more economical than treatment.”

Oral vaccination provides a number of benefits to producers, Anderson says, and the more disease control options they have available, the better. “The industry needs to continue to seek alternative ways of vaccinating animals,” he says. “From that perspective, I wholeheartedly support the oral vaccination of pigs.”