Emergency vaccines can be a highly cost-effective disease intervention strategy. Mass produced vaccines are sometimes ineffective due to the emergence of new strains of bacteria in animal production systems. Emergency vaccines (also termed autogenous vaccines) are derived from the disease causing bacteria isolated from your animals and are formulated specifically to control bacterial infections in your animals.

Emergency vaccines can be formulated and subsequently modified to control newly emerging strains. The key to producing effective emergency vaccines is to regularly monitor the bacteriological status of the herd/flock so as vaccines can be updated accordingly. This requires some forward planning and good liaison with your veterinarian. Emergency vaccines can be prepared from more than one strain/species of bacteria providing that they are isolated from your animals. Thus such multivalent vaccines can provide substantial labour savings and reduce animal handling and associated stress to the animals by decreasing the number of immunizations that they receive. There is also the satisfaction of knowing that your bespoke vaccine will aid in the prevention of infections that afflict your animals.

Having decided to use an emergency vaccine the bacterial strain(s) need to be isolated from diseased animals at the problem site. Your veterinarian needs to collect tissue samples from your animals and send them to a diagnostic laboratory. Ridgeway Biologicals can provide a rapid bacteriology service for the isolation of some pathogens however we encourage you to use your routine diagnostic service. If and when samples are to be submitted we ask clients to forewarn us so as we can liaise with the diagnostic laboratory so as the samples are optimally handled and isolates forwarded to us with the appropriate documentation.

We use the bacteria isolated from your animals to produce the site-specific emergency vaccine that meet VMD standards of purity and safety. Once we have received your isolates and order from your veterinarian production and delivery requires 4-8 weeks depending on the volume of vaccine required.

All of our vaccines should be used as part of a concerted health improvement plan including good biosecurity. We are happy to be involved in the design and implementation of such plans which must also include your veterinarian.

Safety Data relating to our products: Our vaccine are inactivated and therefore biologically harmless. In the event of self inoculation, seek medical advice. Should symptoms become apparent, it is likely that these have arisen from needle contamination rather than the product. The possibility of allergic reaction exists. Splashes in the eyes should be treated by thorough irrigation with eyewash. If in doubt, seek medical advice. Vaccine in contact with the skin should be washed away with water. Contaminated clothing should be removed and laundered before re-use. As will all veterinary products any adverse reactions to vaccination should be reported to the manufacturer without delay.