Pig producers can protect their piglets against Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) during the critical risk period for the first time with a new vaccine.

The new vaccine contains an attenuated European strain of the PRRS virus, can be administered from just one-day old, meaning that protection against the costly pig disease can be in place around weaning and will persist until slaughter.

Dr Laura Hancox, national veterinary manager of Zoetis UK’s said: “If you look at other PRRS vaccines, the earliest onset of immunity possible is at 38 days of age from vaccination carried out at 17 days of age, and that is the problem – as the piglet reaches the danger zone at weaning, their maternally-derived immunity may be waning and protection from the vaccination has still to kick-in. In the post-weaning period, PRRS may start to spread around and pigs will be exposed and challenged by the virus before their vaccination has given them immunity.”

Suvaxyn® PRRS MLV can be used from one day of age as it has been created in a unique new way that means it can create an immune response in the piglet even when maternal PRRS antibody is present.

Dr Hancox continued: “We believe that other vaccines don’t have such an early indication for injection because maternally provided immunity would block the action of the vaccination in the piglets. Antibodies would be circulating around the piglet that had been delivered through colostrum, and these would bind the antigens in the vaccine and stop the piglet making its own immune response.

“With Suvaxyn® PRRS MLV, however, the piglets will still be getting antibodies from the sow, but the vaccine has been manufactured in a way to ensure it can overcome the ‘blocking’ effect of maternally derived antibody therefore allowing the piglet to make its own immune response against the vaccine from day one. That differentiating factor is one that farmers and vets are excited about as it means the vaccine is able to provide the earliest onset of immunity of any PRRS vaccine, so producers can have protection in place around the time of weaning, which is a high-risk period for piglet health.”

Other benefits of bringing the vaccination forward to the first week of life are that the procedure can easily be added onto other tasks carried out at that stage, handling piglets for vaccination is much easier when the piglet is smaller and it removes the potential stress and growth check that can result from additional vaccination around weaning.