FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW
YORK (June 17,
2008) – Cattle producers can use
the first and only vaccine available that prevents persistently
infected (PI) calves caused by bovine
viral diarrhea (BVD) virus Types 1 and 2, and
offers 365 days of protection – Bovi-Shield GOLD® FP®.
The USDA recently upgraded the label claim for Bovi-Shield GOLD FP to the “prevention
of persistently infected calves caused by BVD Types 1 and 2,” which
is the highest label claim the USDA has assigned to a BVD-containing vaccine.
The
cost of BVD to beef and dairy producers with PI calves ranges from $15 to $31
per cow.1,2 Although more than 50 percent of the PI calves usually do
not survive past 12 months of age, some survive to reproductive maturity and
appear completely normal.3 These PI calves shed the BVD virus in
large amounts throughout their lives, infecting other animals that come into
contact with them. This is especially critical in breeding herds where PI
animals, especially calves, spread the virus to susceptible females, potentially
resulting in the birth of more PI calves the next year.
“Knowing
the level of protection of a reproductive vaccine is important in managing the
risk of disease in your herd,” says Dale Grotelueschen, DVM, managing
veterinarian with
A
PI calf results from BVD virus exposure in
utero about 40 to 120 days into gestation. During this critical
exposure period, infection can occur before the calf’s immune system is
sufficiently developed to initiate a protective response. Therefore, BVD is not
recognized as an infecting virus. As the immune system matures, it perceives the
virus as part of the calf itself and will not develop an effective immune
response against it.
“Preventing
PI during this critical exposure period requires a vaccine with sufficient
duration of immunity (DOI),” says Grotelueschen, “which is the time period
immunity stimulated by the vaccine is effective against a specific disease.”
To
compare the duration of immunity of five-way viral vaccines, visit www.365protection.com.
Here you can use the calculator to determine if your vaccine is protecting your
herd during the time of critical exposure for BVD persistent infection.
“I often hear that vaccines are all the same and that it doesn’t matter
which one is used,” Grotelueschen adds. “Well-tested products like Bovi-Shield
GOLD FP have clear advantages over other BVD vaccines that don’t have
supporting research for reproductive protection claims.”
Know
Your Vaccine’s Level of Protection
The
decision about which type of label claim a vaccine will be granted is based on
an evaluation by the Center for Veterinary Biologics, which is part of the
Animal and Plant Inspections Service at the USDA. After evaluating vaccine
efficacy data, the USDA assigns each product a level of protection based on how
the vaccine is expected to perform. The five possible USDA label claims are:4
1.
Prevention
of infection
– the highest granted by USDA, it can only be made if a product can prevent
all colonization or replication of the challenge organism in vaccinated and
challenged animals.
2.
Prevention
of disease
– intended for products that are highly effective in preventing clinical
disease in vaccinated and challenged animals.
3.
Aids
in disease prevention
– the most common label claim for vaccines on the market today. The product
has shown that it prevents disease in vaccinated and challenged animals by a
clinically significant amount that may be less than that required to support a
“prevention of disease” claim.
4.
Aids
in disease control
– the product aids in the reduction of disease severity or duration, or delays
onset.
5.
Other
claims –
these products have beneficial effects other than direct disease control, such
as the control of infection through the reduction of shedding of the organism.
According
to USDA label indication guidelines, all vaccines must include the level of
protection information on the label. Look for it the next time you buy a
vaccine, and talk to your veterinarian to determine which vaccine is right for
your operation.
Pfizer
Inc. (NYSE: PFE), the world’s largest research-based pharmaceutical company,
is a world leader in discovering and developing innovative animal vaccines and
prescription medicines.
###
LABEL
INDICATIONS: The Bovi-Shield GOLD line and PregGuard®
GOLD FP 10 are recommended
for vaccination of healthy cows and heifers approximately 1 month prior to
breeding. These products can also be administered to pregnant cattle provided
they were vaccinated, according to label directions, with any Bovi-Shield FP or
PregGuard FP vaccine prior to breeding initially and within 12 months
thereafter. Failure to follow label directions may result in abortions. The Bovi-Shield
GOLD line may be administered to calves nursing pregnant cows, provided their
dams were vaccinated within the last 12 months as described above. Consistent
with good vaccination practices, heifers should receive at least 2 vaccine
doses, with the second dose administered approximately 30 days pre-breeding.
1
Larson RL, Pierce VL, Grotelueschen DM, Wittum TE. Economic
evaluation of beef cowherd screening for cattle persistently infected with
bovine viral diarrhea virus. Bov
Pract
2002;36(2):106-112.
2
Chi J, VanLeeuwen JA, Weersink A, Keefe GP. Direct
production losses and treatment costs from bovine viral diarrhea virus, bovine
leukosis virus, Mycobacterium avium subspecies paraturberculosis and Neospora
caninum. Prev Vet Med
2002;55(2):137-153.
3
Duffell SJ, Harkness JW. Bovine virus diarrhoea-mucosal disease infection in
cattle. Vet Rec. 1985
Sep 7;117(10):240-245.
4
Veterinary Services Memorandum No. 800.82, June 14, 2002.
Bovi-Shield,
Bovi-Shield GOLD, FP and PregGuard are registered trademarks of Pfizer Inc. ©2008
Pfizer Inc. All rights reserved. BSD08016
Pfizer
Inc.
.
212-733-2323
.
www.pfizerah.com