Stephan von Berg and Miquel Collell talk to Rafael Frandoloso – veterinarian award winner and Professor at the University of Passo Fundo – about the industry’s pressing vaccination questions.  

• Why do different sizes of pig need the same dose of vaccine?
• Which are the best routes to vaccinate effectively?
• What could the future of vaccination look like? 

The trio discuss anatomical versus immunological age, needle phobias in both humans and pigs and the difficulties of knowing when to vaccinate young pigs with immature immune systems. 

They compare vaccination routes and examine the success rates of intramuscular, oral and intradermal techniques. One route, suggests Prof. Frandoloso, may produce a dual response more easily. 
 

If all the techniques protect against colonisation, ask the hosts, does intradermal vaccination give a bonus that outweighs its costs? Should the industry’s objective be sterile immunity for its swine or reducing their clinical signs?

Finally, we ask, how close is veterinary science to producing the broad-spectrum protection that producers want? 

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