Vaccination Reminder for This Time of Year

Most ranchers across the West are well aware of the importance of and have a vaccination program in place for their cattle herd. Veterinarian Dr. Jerad Gould shares some tips about handling vaccine as we move closer to branding season. He says keeping the vaccine cool is critical.
Gould: “That is the key —is having ice packs around and keeping the vaccines on ice. When they are not being utilized to put them back on the ice in the cooler. By the most part, most ranchers are aware of that. But what happens though when you get busy, and you set it down on the tail gate and it is a hotter than normal day and it is sitting in the sun. Is that vaccine is left out — you just opened it five hours ago so you know in your mind it is still good — but the truth is it probably got warm and forgot to put it back on the ice pack. Vaccines are not terribly expensive so at that point it is better to get a new bottle that will carry immunity. Just to know that your new bottle hadn’t been disturbed like that.”