Use of vaccines in cattle

Find out more about the uptake of cattle vaccinations across the UK between 2011 and 2022.

Summary points for cattle vaccines

Vaccine sales

The total number of doses of cattle vaccines sold increased by 18.0% between 2011 and 2022.

Many factors contribute to fluctuations in vaccine sales, including changes in the dose regimes along with manufacturing and supply issues. Sales from wholesalers do not necessarily equate to use in that year. However, monitoring sales is still useful in estimating the likely level of protection in the target group.

Back to: Vaccine uptake report for cattle and sheep

Table 1. Uptake of vaccination (%) for cattle in the UK between 2011–2022

	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Total number cattle <1yr ('000)	2,882	2,925	2,806	2,822	2,939	2,971	2,948	2,888	2,859	2,900	2,969	2,962
Calf pneumonia vaccines (%)	29	31	35	36	36	37	38	40	36	43	44	43
Total cattle and calves ('000)	9,840	9,851	9,763	9,765	9,867	9,919	9,895	9,751	9,599	9,490	9,522	9,525
IBR (%)	23	25	27	28	27	26	29	29	29	33	31	29
Total number of breeding females >1yr ('000)	4,809	4,820	4,787	4,785	4,861	4,912	4,909	4,847	4,788	4,749	4,766	4,769
BVD (%)	42	44	45	48	45	43	45	42	43	44	41	40
Leptospirosis (%)	32	36	33	37	32	31	33	31	27	32	30	30
Total no. of breeding females (> 2yrs) ('000)	3,447	3,426	3,382	3,415	3,470	3,472	3,462	3,412	3,368	3,333	3,316	3,275
Calf enteritis (%)	15	18	12	17	17	16	18	19	18	19	21	20
Total doses of vaccine sold ('000)	8,463	9,349	9,326	10,156	9,701	9,559	10,134	9,839	9,752	10,500	10,183	9,989

Vaccine use analysis

The biggest increase in vaccine uptake between 2011 and 2022 was for calf enteritis (37%) and pneumonia (45%). In cattle, scour and pneumonia are responsible for a considerable, but unknown, proportion of antibiotic use. Given the focus on the responsible use of antibiotics, it is promising that farmers appear to have prioritised spend on these vaccines.

The estimated proportion of cattle vaccinated for Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) has fluctuated in a relatively narrow range between 40% and 48% from 2011 to 2022. The proportion of breeding cattle vaccinated for Leptospirosis has generally been around 33% over the same period, although there was a reduction in 2021 and 2022 when there were supply chain issues. There was also supply chain issues with IBR vaccines in 2021, which may have caused the downturn in IBR vaccine sales − which decreased by 7.1% between 2021 and 2022.

Pneumonia vaccines

Pneumonia is responsible for a considerable amount of antibiotics in cattle. There are good vaccines available and these should be considered to protect the herd and reduce antibiotic usage.

Find out more about pneumonia vaccine use in cattle

Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR) vaccines

IBR causes severe respiratory disease that can lead to fatal pneumonia. The virus can infect the upper respiratory tract and the reproductive tract. Mortality is low, but economic losses can be important.

Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) virus vaccines in cattle

BVD virus is one of the most important viral infections of cattle. The virus infects cattle of all age groups, including the unborn calf.

Find out more about Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) virus vaccines

Leptospirosis vaccines

Leptospirosis is a zoonotic disease caused by bacteria of the Leptospira genus. It is a common infection in dairy and beef herds and causes infertility, abortion and poor milk yield.

Find out more about Leptospirosis vaccines in cattle

Calf enteritis vaccines

Calf enteritis, or calf scour, is a common problem found on most cattle farms in the UK. It can be a major cause of poor growth and calf mortality.