Antimicrobial Resistance in Livestock Farming: An Animal Vaccination Campaign Aims to Reduce the Use of Antibiotics

The Ministry of Agriculture has just launched a broad-based awareness campaign aimed at livestock farmers and veterinarians to encourage disease prevention through the vaccination of farm animals. This is because, despite the cost of curative treatments, the vaccination rate on cattle farms remains low in France. The campaign aims to make the use of vaccines a more competitive alternative to the use of antibiotics at the herd level. All information for “vaccination advocates” is available for download on the ministry’s website*, including two posters highlighting the role of veterinarians.   The emergence of antibiotic resistance remains a global concern. To encourage a reduction in antibiotic use in veterinary medicine, France has implemented the 2012–2017 EcoAntibio plan, comprising 40 actions designed to preserve animal health as well as the therapeutic arsenal, while reducing the contribution of antibiotics to bacterial resistance. This involves, in particular, promoting alternative care options to antibiotic therapy, such as vaccination on livestock farms. Thus, Measure No. 15 of this plan contributes to this overall goal of reducing the risks of antimicrobial resistance, as the plan comes to an end next year. Led by the Union of the Veterinary Drug and Reagent Industry (SIMV), the plan is structured around a twofold objective: reducing diseases and controlling their clinical manifestations through preventive vaccination, as well as promoting research in the field of immunity and the use of vaccines or autovaccines. In many cases, broader vaccination coverage would, in fact, make it possible to avoid the use of antibiotics. To achieve this, current barriers must be removed, such as the persistent reluctance to use vaccines due to certain historical incidents and a lack of understanding of their effectiveness. Following the awareness campaign launched for pets in late 2014 (“Antibiotics: For Us, Too, It’s Not Automatic” ), the ministry is now turning its attention to Livestock. Four compelling reasons for farmers to vaccinate their animals are highlighted:

• a profitable investment: Compared to the cost of an illness in one or more animals, vaccinating the herd is a sound investment. Indeed, individual curative treatments increase the workload and are often more expensive than collective preventive measures. In addition to the costs resulting from the loss of one or more animals, there are also production losses linked to the disease.
• Proven effectiveness: In most cases, the vaccine is effective and immunizes animals against the targeted disease. A vaccine is granted marketing authorisation (MA) only if the benefits of its use outweigh the risks.
• Long-lasting protection: The immunity conferred by the vaccine protects animals susceptible to contracting a disease. Widespread vaccination and booster shots also prevent the spread of the disease to the entire herd through herd immunity.
• Fewer antibiotics: By keeping animals healthy, vaccination helps limit the use of antibiotic therapy.

Future “vaccination advocates” should also be reminded that, to be effective, vaccination must be combined with preventive livestock management practices, which involve controlling certain factors such as nutritional balance, adherence to best practices, parasite control, strengthening biosecurity measures (environment and hygiene within buildings), etc. * Communication tools and visuals: The Veterinarian: A Hands-On Professional The Veterinarian: More Than Just an Emergency Specialist “Vaccin’Acteur” Leaflet  

To learn more: a symposium in Paris

As part of the European Day for Raising Awareness of the Proper Use of Antibiotics, the Ministries of Health, Agriculture, and the Environment are organizing a symposium on “The Cost of Antimicrobial Resistance in Human Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, and the Environment,” on Thursday, November 17, 2016, in Paris (14 Avenue Duquesne, Laroque Room, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.). Presentations and discussions will focus on the economic challenges of antimicrobial resistance, as well as the cost of action versus the cost of inaction. Program for the upcoming symposium

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