Dose
One dose of 5 ml by subcutaneous injection in the side of the neck, observing aseptic precautions.
Vaccination schedule
All cows in a herd should receive two injections of 5 ml during the later stages of pregnancy, with an interval of 4-5 weeks between doses and allowing 2-3 weeks from the time of the second dose until the predicted date of calving.
Re-vaccination
During each subsequent pregnancy previously vaccinated cows should receive a single injection of 5 ml 2-6 weeks prior to predicted calving date.
Passive immunisation
In order to attain local passive immunisation within the intestine against neonatal diarrhoea, the newborn calves must receive sufficient quality colostrum and milk from the vaccinated dams during the first 10 to 14 days of life. For calves born to beef cows this can be achieved by allowing the calf to suckle naturally. Calves born to dairy cows often do not receive sufficient colostrum if suckled naturally, so artificial feeding of colostrum (e.g. via oesophageal tube feeders) should be used.
Feeding and storage of colostrum
For optimal protection it has been shown that daily intake of colostrum is essential to the calf from birth to 2 weeks of age. All calves should be fed colostrum derived from the first milking, ideally within the first 6 hours of life. Calves should then either be left to suckle naturally for a minimum of 2 weeks or a colostrum feeding regime must be established. Any remaining quantities from the first milking and all the colostrum from the second milking of each individual dam should be pooled, aliquoted and stored deep frozen (-20ºC for a maximum of one year). Alternatively, these colostrum pools can be stored at about +4°C for about 2 weeks. Following the first suckling of colostrum from the dam by the calves, where the calves are separated from the dam, their feed must be supplemented with 500ml of pooled colostrum from their own dam each day.