home → articles → New Products | Email to a Friend

Bovi-Shield GOLD Approved For Single Dose BRSV Vaccination

published: September 24th 2008
source: Pfizer Animal Health

NEW YORK  - Up to 76 percent of U.S. beef and dairy
herds have bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) present, which
producers can now help prevent with a single dose of the industry's most
researched and best-selling viral vaccine - Bovi-Shield GOLD(r).1,2

According to the University of Florida Institute of Food and
Agricultural Sciences, BRSV outbreaks will likely result in 100 percent
of the cattle in susceptible herds becoming infected, with 20 to 50
percent of animals showing clinical signs and a death loss up to 5
percent.1 With this USDA-approval, Bovi-Shield GOLD now helps provide
convenient, industry-leading protection against BRSV, as well as
infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR), parainfluenza-3 (PI3), and
bovine virus diarrhea (BVD) types 1 and 2.

"In addition to the convenience of a single-dose BRSV vaccination," said
Victor Cortese, DVM, PhD, DABVP, director of specialty veterinary
operations for Pfizer Animal Health, "Bovi-Shield GOLD is now approved
for both intramuscular and subcutaneous administration, giving producers
additional flexibility in their management programs and helping beef
producers meet beef quality assurance guidelines."

The upgraded formulation of Bovi-Shield GOLD also includes a new virus
to help prevent PI3 infections.

"PI3 by itself isn't a severe threat to cattle health," said Cortese,
"but the virus can occur with other respiratory diseases like BRSV, IBR
and BVD, and the combination of diseases can be very harmful to cattle."

Cortese added that, based on extensive research, Pfizer Animal Health
updated the PI3 strain in Bovi-Shield GOLD to ensure it helps provide
the best protection possible following subcutaneous administration.

These new claims do not apply to Bovi-Shield GOLD(r) FP(r) reproductive
vaccines.

The Bovi-Shield GOLD line and PregGuard(r) GOLD FP 10 are recommended
for vaccination of healthy cows and heifers approximately 1 month prior
to breeding. These products can also be administered to pregnant cattle
provided they were vaccinated, according to label directions, with any
Bovi-Shield GOLD FP or PregGuard GOLD FP vaccine prior to breeding
initially and within 12 months thereafter. Failure to follow label
directions may result in abortions. The Bovi-Shield GOLD line may be
administered to calves nursing pregnant cows, provided their dams were
vaccinated within the last 12 months as described above. Consistent with
good vaccination practices, heifers should receive at least 2 vaccine
doses, with the second dose administered approximately 30 days
pre-breeding.