Vaccine shortages continue to disrupt UK pig production
Reports of disruptions to availability across livestock sectors, whether as a result of recalls, failed batches or too little product being imported into Britain, have been coming through for over a year, and it is now apparent that this is affecting the pig herds. Unfortunately, it does not seem to have a quick fix.
It is estimated that less than 10% of veterinary vaccine products are manufactured in the UK, and indeed the EU and other parts of the world have also experienced vaccines shortages in the same period.
There are many reasons why this is happening, as vaccine supply is vulnerable to a number of factors.
Diversion of production capability to Covid and other diseases has resulted in a shortage of vaccines bottles, bungs and manufacturing capacity, and it can take time to switch to alternative materials – if any alternatives are available.
Like all factories, vaccine manufacturing schedules are full and often planned years in advance. Vaccine production is a time-sensitive biological process which results in variability in manufacturing and testing. If a batch fails, there is little or no space in the schedule to re-make that batch and in any case the materials which go into the vaccines are not always readily available as they are strictly controlled under licence.
Vaccines, themselves, have a shelf life which can be relatively short, so any problems with storage – including cold storage and transport – can be problematic.
The economics of vaccine production is a factor for the companies which make them. They seek a balance between producing enough to meet demand, but not so much extra that it is written off with expiring shelf life. Arguably the demand in the UK is not currently being met, but it is not as simple as companies not producing enough, and all of these factors are putting pressure on supply.
In autumn 2024 AHDB and VARSS published antibiotic usage data for 2023 which showed an increase in usage of 18% compared to 2022. There are many reasons for this increase, but the consistent message from producers and vets is that vaccine shortages have played a role, with lack of availability resulting in increased antibiotic use on farm.
As RUMA starts to write the next antibiotic use targets, this will continue to be relevant and NPA will be seeking to highlight the impact that this has in order to feed back to pharmaceutical companies and government.
This is a complex and multifactorial issue that is not easy to resolve, which will require a joined-up approach from livestock industries, government and the pharmaceutical companies to improve the UK market.
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