Dr Divya Sharma
“Vaccines are the most successful and cost effective health instruments in history”. For nearly 20 years, World Veterinary Day has been an opportunity to celebrate the contributions of veterinarians to the health of animals and society. Vaccines are one of the most valuable tools in any veterinarian’s arsenal. This year world veterinary day will be celebrated on 27th April 2019 on the theme:-“value of vaccination”. Animal vaccines are part of a category of animal medicines known as veterinary biologics, which work primarily by stimulating an animal’s immune system to prevent or treat diseases. These medicines protect the health of animals and the livelihood of farmers by acting as an essential tool for preventive veterinary medicine, promotion of animal health and welfare, and reducing the risk of human exposure to many zoonotic pathogens.
WORLD VETERINARY DAY
Vaccinating animals reduces animal suffering, transmission of microorganisms in the animal population, and is often more affordable than paying for the treatment of sick animals .Historically, immunization practices and vaccination protocols have contributed to significantly reduce the prevalence of many life-threatening disease as well as act as an effective, convenient and easy measure to administer health intervention that protect animals and humans against the potential dangers of many infectious diseases.
Vaccines are the second reason for a spectacular decrease of animal mortality in the 20th century after the discovery of antibiotics and one of the most cost-effective health achievements of modern times.It stimulates the animal’s own defense system and prepare the animal to better resist the impact of a pathogenic microorganism it may encounter later in life.It prevents occurrence of specific infectious animal diseases causing suffering in animals. Vaccines are an efficient means to prevent the transmission and the spread of contagious animal diseases from animals to people and from animal to animal. Vaccines are generally safe and efficient and only occasionally cause severe side effects. These may improve the efficiency of conversion of food and water into animal proteins and other essential nutrients. Vaccines contribute to the prevention and control of infectious animal diseases epidemics and protect farmers and governments against the waste of critical agricultural resources and severe financial losses support establishment of good animal welfare standards, which in turn contribute to improved overall herd health, increased production efficiency, lower veterinary costs, less use of medication, safer food chains by decreasing the incidence of food borne illness. Vaccination regimes are part of veterinary public health policies and the result of robust evaluation by medicines regulatory authorities.
Vaccines are developed and produced according to safety and quality standards similar to those applied to human vaccines. These are commercialized only after being proven pure, potent, safe and efficacious and after receiving a market authorization from competent authorities, vaccines are subject to post-authorization surveillance and pharmacovigilance reporting throughout their life cycle.
Vaccines can prevent the loss of up to 20% of animal protein production due to infectious animal diseases in emerging economies. Innovation and biotechnology is needed to continuously improve existing vaccines and face the challenges of recurring or emerging infectious animal diseases. During the last 200 years understanding the world as one and working without distinction between animals and man – ONE HEALTH CONCEPT has been brought to humankind by great visionaries.
The risks of not vaccinating can be significant to individual animals and populations, and can have consequences on livelihoods of rural livestock producers in economically developing and emerging regions like India. Effective vaccination programs, broadly implemented, are likely to reduce the need for antimicrobials, which in turn can help reduce the risk of emerging antimicrobial resistance. The World Veterinary Association and Health for Animals believe it is essential for the global veterinary profession to educate the public, particularly animal owners and producers, about the benefits of vaccination for animal, human, and public health. Livestock animals like Buffaloes, Chickens, cattle and pigs are vaccinated to protect against diseases like rotavirus,H.S, E. coli, pinkeye, and brucellosis. Vaccinations keep individual animals, flocks and herds, and people healthy.
Future of animal health
Dramatic victories against deadly diseases in 21st century, like eradicating rinderpest have been a triumph for modern world. Farmers and veterinarians have cured life threatening diseases in animals and prevented animal suffering succeedingly. Antibiotics and vaccines have been a leading machinery in achieving and securing these goals of global animal health. Vaccines have become a substratum of disease prevention allowing veterinarians to stop outbreak before they occur .As the world is changing rapidly, climate change spins deadlier outbreaks raising problems like food and fodder supply strain. Government and animal medicine companies have met similar challenges in past and continue to do so, We must work together to ensure vaccines and medicines remain effective for treatment of sick animals with right medicine, at right dose and right time and with right oversight with a principle called as little as possible and as much as necessary. With this approach antibiotics and vaccinations alongside other tools like proper nutrition, hygiene and husbandry can help a veterinarian better protect the health of our animals in future.
Vaccines and medicines that improve immunity to a disease have been a bed rock of disease prevention since the first vaccines were developed in India in late 1800 century. Vaccination has eliminated smallpox in people, rinderpest in animals and can control other diseases like Foot and Mouth disease, rabies and canine distemper. Robust vaccination programmes have been developed to fight PPR(Peste-de-petit ruminants).These efforts will save thousands of livestock lives, transform rural farming committees and improve quality life in animals and people. Disease prevention is not a static challenge though diseases could evolve and new strains continuously emerge, however vaccine companies and national institutes like national institute of biotechnology, Indian veterinary research institutes and different state vaccination institutes have worked for decades to remain agile and adapt. Their efforts focus on preventing diseases no just today but far into the future. Future trends in vaccine production and implementation can be achieved only after better surveillance system for diseases threat, identification , new technologies will help to improve how we treat and diagnose different diseases. Continuous emphasis on animal health well being by Collaboration between public and private sectors nationally as well as internationally will help us to fight against the emerging and re-emerging diseases (eg Ebola) leading to health and treatment for all species.
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