Vaccinating calves: new information on the effects of maternal immunity

Publications

Cattle

For decades, veterinarians have believed that young

animals with circulating maternally-derived antibody

cannot be effectively vaccinated. However, many inves-

tigators have shown that young animals vaccinated in

the face of maternal antibody (IFOMA), while not show-

ing evidence of an increase in serum antibody titer typi-

cally seen in older animals responding to vaccination, will

show evidence of T cell activation or, better yet, protec-

tion from disease when they are exposed to infection af-

ter...

Successful priming for a memory immune response by vaccination IFOMA has repeatedly been shown to be possible in calves. […] While more research is needed before consistently reliable recommendations for successful vaccination of calves IFOMA can be made, ample evidence suggests that vaccination IFOMA can protect calves from disease when they are exposed to in- fectious agents after maternal antibodies have disap- peared in at least some cases. Thus, vaccination IFOMA may be worthwhile and cost effective practice when young calves are at reasonably high risk of disease due to agents for which effective vaccines are available.