Boehringer Ingelheim has launched Bovalto Respi Intranasal, an intranasal pneumonia vaccine for calves.

Bovalto Respi Intranasal protects against the two main respiratory viruses – RSV and PI3, using modified live viral strains that have been shown to protect against experimental challenge from recent field isolates1

The vaccine is delivered as a single shot, from 10 days of age and provides immunity for 12 weeks, from 10 days after vaccination2.

In order to overcome the challenges of effective delivery, Boehringer is offering dedicated administration packs, available directly from its ruminant specialist team.

The packs include a vaccinator, a set of nozzles that deliver the vaccine at the optimum droplet size and a soft Bovalto Respisafe applicator which fits against the calf’s nostril. The aim is to make sure that vaccination is a comfortable process for both farmer and calf, as well as addressing the challenge of the delivery of vaccine to the desired area in the nasal passages.

Correct administration of the vaccine ensures that the spray is delivered effectively to the mucosal surface and local lymphoid tissue, achieving the optimal immune response. If the droplet size is too big, the vaccine may be deposited lower in the airway and run out of the nose. If droplet size is too small then the vaccine may be carried to the back of the throat and swallowed. Time and money is spent vaccinating calves so the process needs to be as efficient as possible to give optimal protection. 

Matt Yarnall, brand manager at Boehringer Ingelheim said: "The UK BRD vaccine market is growing each year but, as a management tool, vaccination remains quite low down the list of actions, according to the 2017 Calfmatters survey.

"If adding to the Bovalto range encourages more farmers to vaccinate against pneumonia so improving calf heath and lowering antibiotic use, that can only be a step in the right direction."

References

  1. Philippe-Reversat et al. (2017) Acta vet. BRNO 86: 325-332
  2. Bovalto Respi Intranasal datasheet

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