Vaccinations to Optimize Reproductive Efficiency

Abstract

Do current vaccines aid in reproductive performance? Can we establish a vaccination program that can help prevent reproductive loss from diseases? During gestation, the bovine reproductive system, with its multi-layered placenta, leaves the fetus in a naive environment susceptible to infection. Abortions may occur due to infection of the placenta, inflammation of the ovary, death of the fetus and/or disruption of the cervical plug. Thus, reproductive disease is the hardest to protect against. Vaccination must minimize the amount/duration of the viremia/septicemia or prevent disease from moving through the cervix.

Research is under way on reproductive diseases and vaccine development. Current research is aimed at establishing a vaccination program to control reproductive diseases. Unfortunately, there is little or no research regarding the reproductive efficacy of many vaccines currently used to prevent reproductive disease. Due to the numerous causes of reproductive failures (of which infectious agents are a small percentage), vaccinations to prevent infectious reproductive losses many not appear to be effective. This is often due to the fact that diagnostic testing has not been attempted or has not determined the cause of reproductive inefficiencies. A vaccination program may be inappropriately instituted when the cause is not infectious, or the current program may be unfairly deemed ineffective.

Since there are many infectious and non-infectious causes of bovine reproductive failure, only diseases for which there are licensed United States Department of Agriculture vaccines will be discussed.