§ Mr. Biffenasked the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received to permit the use of brucellosis vaccine 45/20 against contagious abortion; and if he will make a statement on the comparative advantages of vaccine 45/20 and vaccine S19 and Government policy towards their respective use.
§ Mr. GodberNone. Trials in this country and elsewhere have shown that vaccination with 45/20 offers no greater degree of protection against brucellosis than S19. Moreover, S19 is easier to administer, requiring only one visit and injection compared with two separate visits and injections of 45/20.
Both strain 19 vaccine and 45/20 may complicate test results. But as S19 can be administered in calfhood vaccinal reaction is minimal by the time the animal reaches normal testable age. Whereas 45/20 is normally administered later in life and may produce complications up to a correspondingly later age.
For these reasons, the Government encourage vaccination with S19 by offering a free service to herd owners.
The use of 45/20 is permitted in herds outside the voluntary brucellosis schemes. It is often used in this country to control the spread of brucella abortus in infected herds. Because of the possibility of interference with the results of tests, however, it may not be used in scheme herds and it is subject to licensing control in areas scheduled for compulsory eradication.