Which vaccines do pigs need? Detailed vaccination schedule and precautions
To prevent certain diseases in advance, pig farmers vaccinate their pigs ahead of time. Both the choice of vaccine and the timing of injection need attention. So which vaccines do pigs need? What should be noted during vaccination? When should the injections roughly be given?
Which vaccines do pigs need?
1. Swine fever vaccine
Breeding pigs can be vaccinated four times a year; piglets are vaccinated once each at around 21 days, 50 days and 75 days.
2. Pseudorabies vaccine
This is also a vaccine that pig farms must use for prevention. Breeding pigs are vaccinated four times a year. Piglets are vaccinated once each at 40 days and 70 days.
3. Porcine parvovirus vaccine
Sows must be vaccinated for their first two litters; after two litters, vaccination is no longer required.
4. Japanese encephalitis vaccine
Breeding pigs are vaccinated twice a year, in March and August respectively.
5. Foot-and-mouth disease vaccine
Breeding pigs are vaccinated four times a year; piglets are vaccinated once each at around 15 days, 35 days and 80 days.
What should be noted when vaccinating pigs?
1. Vaccine instructions and dates
Before use, carefully read the bottle label and the instructions, and strictly follow the regulations for diluting and using the vaccine. At the same time, check whether the outer packaging and the contents of the bottle have deteriorated, expired or become moldy.
2. Intervals between uses
Antibiotics and interferon must not be used within 4 days before and after injecting viral vaccines. Two kinds of live viral vaccines generally should not be used at the same time; an interval of 7-10 days should be kept to avoid mutual interference.
3. Mixed use
Live viral vaccines and inactivated vaccines can be used at the same time, injected separately intramuscularly. Antibiotics must not be used within 7 days before and after injecting live bacterial vaccines! Two kinds of bacterial vaccines can be used at the same time, injected separately intramuscularly. However, antibiotics generally have no effect on inactivated bacterial vaccines, so they can be used at the same time, injected separately intramuscularly.
4. Pigs that should not be vaccinated
Vaccinating pigs in the incubation period with attenuated vaccines may trigger an outbreak, and may even cause the pigs to fall ill and die. Pregnant sows should as far as possible not be vaccinated with attenuated live vaccines, especially live viral vaccines, to avoid transmission through the placenta and causing piglets to carry the virus.
Pigs with high fever, and old, weak, sick or disabled pigs, must not be vaccinated; it may directly speed up or cause the death of the pig, and no immune response will be produced.
5. Duration of effectiveness
After dilution, the vaccine must be used up within the specified time; it must not be left overnight, otherwise it must be discarded. When the temperature is 15-25°C, the diluted vaccine becomes ineffective after more than 4 hours.
6. Other points
Do not combine vaccines at will, and even more so do not arbitrarily increase or reduce the injection dose; this can cause immune paralysis, so that immune cells do not produce an immune response.
Appendix: Pig vaccination schedule
The table below is a compiled pig vaccination schedule, which you can use for reference.
| Boars and sows | Piglets |
| Swine fever: sows 20 days after farrowing or once every 6 months intramuscularly; boars every 6 months | 1 day of age: pseudorabies vaccine 1 dose by nasal drip |
| Foot-and-mouth disease vaccine: once every 4 months intramuscularly, 3 doses | 7 days of age: swine enzootic pneumonia inactivated vaccine, intramuscular injection 2ml |
| Porcine pseudorabies gene-deleted attenuated vaccine: once every 4 months intramuscularly, 3 doses | 20 days of age: swine fever attenuated vaccine 1 dose |
| Japanese encephalitis vaccine: once a year in March | 25 days of age: swine enzootic pneumonia inactivated vaccine, intramuscular injection 2ml |
| Porcine parvovirus vaccine: sows 10—12 days after farrowing, intramuscularly once | 30 days of age: streptococcus vaccine, intramuscular injection once, 2 doses |
| 30 days of age: streptococcus vaccine, intramuscular injection once, 2 doses | |
| 40 days of age: foot-and-mouth disease vaccine: intramuscular injection once, 3 doses | |
| 55 days of age: porcine pseudorabies gene-deleted attenuated vaccine, intramuscular injection 2 doses | |
| 60 days of age: swine fever single vaccine: intramuscular injection once, 4 doses | |
| 70 days of age: foot-and-mouth disease vaccine: intramuscular injection once, 3 doses |
Pig vaccines must be injected according to the instructions, and the timing should also be based on the condition of the pigs. Inexperienced farmers had best consult experienced people or the relevant agricultural technicians.