A questionnaire-based survey on the uptake and use of cattle vaccines in the UK

Cresswell, E.; Brennan, M. L.; Barkema, H. W.; Wapenaar, W.

Understanding farmer motivators and barriers for vaccination may be useful to improve uptake and usage of vaccines. Economic factors, such as vaccine cost and increased production profits associated with vaccination, could affect decision-making on whether to vaccinate. Although nearly half the respondents had discussed cost with their vaccine supplier in the past year, cost was not frequently mentioned as a barrier for vaccination. However, a Dutch study has suggested that economic factors are the main motivators (e.g., increased production profits) and barriers (e.g., vaccination costs) for farmers when deciding whether to vaccinate their livestock (Elbers and others 2010) . Other studies describe factors, such as worker satisfaction, as being equally as motivating as cost in farmer decision-making about cattle health (Valeeva and others 2007) . The veterinarian was the main vaccine supplier, and also the preferred source of information for many respondents in this study, but only 66 per cent of respondents had discussions about vaccine use with their supplier. The variation observed with respect to following recommended vaccination protocols may be explained by this lack of discussion on the use of vaccines. Incorporating information such as RUMA's 'Checklist for Vaccination' (RUMA 2012), together with tailored farm advice during herd health visits provides an opportunity to discuss vaccination protocols with a client. This approach could improve adherence to recommended vaccination strategies, reduce vaccine failure on farms, and raise awareness of the potential benefits among those who are not vaccinating.