19 Oct 2020
Study supported by MSD Animal Health and led by Rosie Lyle of Bishopton Veterinary Group shows temperature of most either too high or too low for recommended vaccine storage.
Paul Imrie
Job Title
Rosie Lyle’s study found 89% of fridge temperatures were outside the recommended range for storing vaccines.
A vet’s study has shown the majority of farm fridges may not maintain temperatures at the range recommended for proper storage of most vaccines.
Rosie Lyle, of Bishopton Veterinary Group in North Yorkshire, conducted a study with 18 farmers, who placed temperature loggers in the fridge where they normally store vaccines. Temperatures were then monitored from February to April. The study was supported by MSD Animal Health.
During the study period, 89% of the loggers recorded a temperature outside the 2°C to 8°C range at least once, with 43% noting temperatures outside this range half the time.
A total of 55% recorded a temperature higher than 8°C and 39% temperature below 2°C, with 12°C the highest recorded and -11.5°C the coldest.
Miss Lyle said the findings raised potential concerns about vaccine efficacy in on-farm fridges.
Miss Lyle said: “This is a surprisingly wide range. Obviously, these findings are concerning for farmers as we know that both too high and too low temperatures can impair vaccine efficacy.”
Live vaccines tended to be particularly sensitive to elevated temperatures, whereas inactivated vaccines were more affected by freezing – especially when the adjuvant contains aluminium salts.
Miss Lyle added: “It’s important for both farmers and vets to be aware of potential concerns about vaccine efficacy, given the possible impact on herd health, and the potential for vaccine failure to reduce trust in vaccines and herd health recommendations.”
Vets across the XLVets community, of which Bishopton is part, will now be advising farmers to improve their medicine storage.
Advice includes using maximum/minimum thermometers or temperature loggers to track fridge temperature, as well as taking steps to maximise the efficiency of each fridge. Farmers will also be warned to check airflow and prevent dirt buildup on grills.
XLVets marketing manager Susan Goodfellow said: “We wouldn’t have known that this is an important issue to highlight to farmers without collecting the information, so Rosie’s study was very valuable.
“In the XLVets community, we support clinical leadership with these kind of projects – we actively collect data and make sure that farmers can benefit from the latest findings.”
