In order to carry out a good vaccination process in the production systems it is important to know which equipment is needed and its usefulness. Veterinary accessories are part of the basic material of any professional dedicated to animal health.

THE IMPORTANCE OF VACCINATION

Vaccination is, according to the OIE, a process where we seek to prevent and control the occurrence of infectious diseases in animals, and also to reduce the transmission of the pathogen agent. Ideally, vaccines should induce immunity that prevents infection.

Vaccines that may be available depending on the animal species are:

• Cattle: IBR (Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis), DVB (Bovine Viral Diarrhea), VRSB (Bovine Syncytial Respiratory Virus), PI3 (Parainfluenza type 3), Leptospira, Rabies, Brucella, Campylobacter, Pasteurella, Salmonella, Clostridium.
• Poultry: Marek disease, Coccidia, Gumboro, Newcastle, Smallpox, Coryza, Pasteurella (Article of interest: Bacterial vaccines for veterinary use)
• Swine: Foot-and-mouth disease, Swine fever, Atrophic rhinitis, Parvovirus, Leptospira, Erisipela, Aujesky’s disease, E. coli.

Within all these vaccines there is a wide range of varieties related to their commercial presentation. In poultry, for example, vaccines can be administered by multiple routes: in ovo, by spraying, injected.

Vaccines have been one of the most effective methods for the control and prevention of infectious diseases on farms for many decades.

VETERINARY INSTRUMENTS FOR BIOSECURITY

Record format

The vaccination format should have the basic information of the individuals to be immunized. It is extremely important to trace the veterinary processes carried out in any production system.

• General: date, name of the production system, owner data.
• About the vaccine: commercial name, commercial house, type of vaccine, strain, lot, date of application, applied dose.
• About the animal: species, age of the animal, route of application of the injection.

PPE (Personal Protective Elements)

The elements of personal protection are the starting point of veterinary equipment used in animal production. This is the equipment that protects the integrity of the veterinarian, against accidents of physical, chemical or biological type. The PPE have been developed and studied extensively and its use is recommended in animal work.

The most important are:

• Goggles: This safety attachment protects both eyes from splash accidents. Vaccines should be considered to have attenuated infectious agents and adjuvant products in their composition. Therefore, it is necessary to protect the ocular mucosa from receiving drops of these products. If not used, there is a risk of eye irritation from contact, inoculation of the vaccine agent, and eye trauma.
• Mouth cap: the mouth cap is a personal security element that should always be used in procedures with animals. During vaccination it is also important. It can prevent cases of allergies; it also avoids contaminating materials and vaccination equipment.
• Breastplate (vest): the breastplate is a piece of personal security equipment that has as a utility to isolate the clothes of the people from the environment and the animal. It is useful to avoid contamination with fecal matter, urine, and animal secretions.
• Gloves: Those who are going to work in animal handling should wear gloves to avoid wounds on the hands, caused by ties or animals. On the other hand, those who are going to carry out the vaccination process should wear disposable gloves (latex or nitrile) because they will be in possible contact with blood, fecal matter, urine or the vaccine itself. This ensures the welfare of the animal, the worker and the hygiene of the vaccination process.
• Mask: People who must perform spraying or misting vaccinations should wear a protective mask. This mask consists of a protective barrier for the face, preventing the fall of solutions in the mucous membranes and skin of those who exercise the process.

Collector guardian and collector bag

The collecting guardian is a fundamental part of veterinary instruments. This safety equipment allows us to make a correct arrangement of the sharp material that we use (needles, sutures, blades). It consists of a thick and resistant plastic container where these dangerous materials are deposited. It has a lid with fasteners that allow removing the needles safely without manipulating them directly.

The collection bags should be part of the veterinary equipment.

They can be of two types:

• Red bag: allows depositing biohazard materials such as gauze, cotton, syringes (without needle), hair, fabrics. Every veterinarian must take one with him to be able to separate dangerous waste from ordinary and sharp waste.
• Auxiliary bag: allows depositing ordinary materials that do not contain biologically dangerous elements. There go scraps of paper, plastics, etc., that are not contaminated with fluids like blood, urine, or fecal matter.

Cooler

The portable refrigerator is a very useful component in veterinary instruments. It consists of an expanded polystyrene container that inside has dry ice bags that maintain low temperatures inside. The cooler is where vaccines that require low temperatures must be kept and transported to ensure their quality. During vaccination processes, it is important to keep vials protected in the refrigerator because heat damages vaccines, decreasing their effectiveness.

SPECIALIZED VETERINARY INSTRUMENTS

Disposable syringes

Syringes are the basic component of any veterinary equipment. There are many types. The choice of the syringe and its needle varies depending on the species to be injected, the age and breed of the animal, and the area of the body where it will be vaccinated. The main characteristics of syringes used in veterinary instruments are:

• Capacity: there are 1mL, 2mL, 5mL, 10mL, 20mL and 50mL which are commonly used in veterinary instruments.
• Needle caliber: The size of the needle used, in terms of size and length, also changes with syringes. The gauge is the thickness of the needle hole; The length is how long the needle is. There are 16G (very thick) up to 30G (ultra-thin).

Multi-dose syringes

Multidose vaccines are available on the market for veterinary instruments. These are syringes that are larger than disposable syringes and in materials like stainless steel. They are designed for long life, reuse countless times and can choose the amount to inject in each application. They are very useful in the intramuscular vaccination of large batches of animals such as in cattle farming. In addition, it allows loading large quantities of the vaccine without the need to manipulate the bottle constantly, thus avoiding its contamination. However, it is also recommended to change the needles of this syringe, using a different one for each animal.

Back pump

The back pump is a team that is part of the veterinary vaccination equipment. It consists of a container that is loaded on the back of the operator and inside it the vaccine is dissolved. Through a tube or hose connection, the operator makes a nebulization of this solution containing the vaccine on the population of chickens. The size of the nebulizer should be chosen correctly to inoculate micro drops of the appropriate size. It is recommended to nebulize with a coarse drop (100-150 µm) in the vaccinations; and with a fine drop (20-100 µm) in revaccinations.

Reactive paper for vaccine nebulization

To check the size of droplets that are nebulizing in a population of animals, there are reactive papers that measure the size of the droplets. It is important to know what drop size is being sprayed according to the vaccine used, the type and the stage of vaccination.

Avian vaccine applicator

In poultry, some vaccines must be injected into the wing of individuals. For this, there is an applicator, which consists of a double-pointed punch or lancet, at the end of which there are microwells where the vaccine liquid remains. When introduced into the wing of the bird, the micropozos leave the liquid there. It is absorbed by the bird’s skin and subsequently develops its immune response. This applicator is essential within the veterinary equipment of the professional who has to vaccinate in poultry.

First aid kit

In animal procedures, accidents may occur during handling or vaccination. It is important to have a first aid kit, both for people and animals. Wound healing can prevent future infections, for example. The ideal is to contain: alcohol, chlorhexidine, cotton, gauze, bass, knife multitool, scissors, tweezers, tape, among others.

CONCLUSIONS

Veterinary instruments are a set of basic elements and equipment for efficient work in animal production. This equipment can vary depending on the activities to be developed and the production system. However, this set of elements is essential for programs such as vaccination, which is fundamental in all animal production systems. Carrying out a quality vaccination has a great positive impact on farms, preventing the emergence of diseases.

Referencias:

• AGRONET, 2019. Tips para antes, durante y después de la vacunación.
• Biogenesis Bago, s.f.. GUÍAS DE BUENAS PRÁCTICAS DE VACUNACIÓN. 
• FAO, 2012. Manual de Buenas Prácticas de Ganadería Bovina para la Agricultura Familiar.
• FEDEGAN, 2009. Buenas prácticas de vacunación.
• FENAVI, s.f. Sanidad en la industria avicola. 

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