Equine influenza vaccination in the UK: Current practices may leave horses with suboptimal immunity.

The research article highlights that current equine vaccination practices in the UK potentially risk suboptimal immunity in horses, as they are mostly noncompliant with datasheet guidelines, yet comply with competition rules.

Objective and Methodology

• The study’s purpose was to examine the current vaccination practices adopted by veterinarians treating horses in the UK. There was a specific focus on identifying any discrepancies between these practices, manufacturer datasheets, and current guidelines.
• To investigate the practices, a cross-sectional survey was conducted. This was done through an online questionnaire distributed to veterinarians treating horses. The researchers reached the vets through professional registration listings and social media platforms.
• The questionnaire collected information related to the veterinarians’ demographics, their vaccination practices, and the presence of vaccine hesitancy.

Results

• The survey garner responses from 304 UK vets who were working with a variety of horses, including those used for leisure, competition, stud-work, and racing.
• Significant variation was identified in vaccine protocols for competing and non-competing horses. In fact, 57% of respondents reported variation in the frequency of booster vaccinations they advised.
• The majority of the practitioners reiterated that their vaccination practices were not in sync with datasheet guidelines. Alarmingly, only a little over 7% of respondents were found to comply with the datasheet timeframes for the second and third vaccinations.
• An astounding 66% of the vets reported experiencing adverse events following vaccination over the past year. However, only a fraction of these adverse cases, amounting to approximately 19%, were reported to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate.
• A large majority, (86.4%), of vets also reported vaccine hesitancy from horse owners. This stemmed mainly from owners’ perception of over-vaccination, the high costs involved in vaccination, and concerns regarding adverse events.

Conclusions

• The study concludes that large discrepancies exist in the current equine vaccination practices when compared with the outlined datasheet guidelines. Consequently, this may result in suboptimal immunity among horses. These outcomes clarify that adherence to competition rules does not guarantee optimal vaccine administration and immunity. Therefore, it is implied that a reevaluation and possible restructuring of vaccine protocols can be warranted.