Launch of double vaccination device for pigs

The injector fits in MSD Animal Health’s Intradermal Application of Liquids (IDAL) range, and is a variety on the IDAL 3G that was launched earlier this year. The 3^rd generation of this range couples needle-free, intradermal vaccination to precision farming, as on a display data about the vaccination progress can be followed and stored.

Double vial position in the pig injector

The ‘Twin’ version, named after the double vial position and 2 injector heads, is heavier than its sibling. The twin version was developed because pig producers often need to give more than one vaccine at the same moment, for instance when piglets need protection against against Porcine Circovirus 2 virus (PCV2) and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (M. hyo) at a few days of age.

The development of the twin device allows a double, simultaneous vaccination without having to process the animals twice. In a single movement, each vaccine will thus be administered to the pig in a volume of 0.2 ml, with a few cm in between the points of injection.

With the adequate pressure, the vaccine is administered in between the dermis and the epidermis, where immune cells can respond easier then when an injection is given into the muscle. Additional benefit is that less adjuvant is needed.

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PCV2 and M. hyo

Only vials developed by MSD Animal Health can be used in this approach. At the moment, the ‘twin’ use is possible for the company’s vaccine against PCV2 (Porcilis PCV ID) and Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae (Porcilis M Hyo ID Once).

With the conventional 3G device (now named IDAL 3G Mono) also the company’s vaccines Porcilis PRRS, Prime Pac PRRS and Porcilis AD Begonia can be administered.

High Quality Pork Congress

The animal health company, headquartered in New Jersey, USA, introduced the novel device at its High Quality Pork Congress in Baveno, northern Italy. Similar events like these shall be held in other continents. The event in Italy, Oct 9-10, was visited by about 150 health experts from all over Europe.

The event featured a range of speakers, which apart from in-house speakers featured e.g. Megan Niederwerder, Kansas State University, USA; Ilias Kyriazakis, Newcastle University, UK and a panel discussion, moderated by Vincent ter Beek, editor Pig Progress.

The panel discussion featured expert opinions of Umberto Rolla, Martini; Ilias Kyriazakis, Newcastle University; Stephan von Berg, Ruud Segers and Jose Herrera Seibt, all MSD Animal Health. Photo: Domique Mensinck

Advantages of needle-free vaccination

Several speakers used the opportunity to highlight benefits of working with the IDAL method. The company’s global swine marketing director Olivia Azlor Marsinach summed up a range of them during her presentation:

• Welfare: No needle use leads to fewer animals being hurt or stressed due to previous injections;
• Food safety: No risk of broken needles or tissue damage;
• Antibiotic reduction: No risk for disease transmission through needles; great vaccine application accuracy as vaccines can be precisely administered intradermally.
• User safety: No needles will get stuck in farm workers.

The IDAL 3G: A US-German cooperation

The Twin device, just like the Mono version, was constructed in cooperation with medical technology experts Henke-Sass Wolf from Germany.

MSD Animal Health is known as Merck Animal Health within the United States and Canada. In those countries, the IDAL 3G systems are not available.