Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
The design of veterinary vaccination programmes.
- Journal:
- Veterinary journal (London, England : 1997)
- Year:
- 1997
- Authors:
- Woolhouse, M E et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Zoology · United Kingdom
Plain-English summary
The way we set up vaccination programs for animals depends on how effective the vaccine is and how the disease spreads. Key factors include how many vaccinated animals are protected, how long that protection lasts, and how many animals get vaccinated overall. A crucial detail in understanding disease spread is a number called R0, which helps determine how many animals need to be vaccinated to stop the infection. By using mathematical models, we can figure out things like the best age to start vaccinations and how often to give booster shots. Studies on diseases like rabies in foxes and foot-and-mouth disease in cattle show that this approach can help create effective vaccination plans.
Abstract
The optimal design of a veterinary vaccination programme depends on both the characteristics of the vaccine and the epidemiology of the pathogen or parasite. Relevant vaccine characteristics are the proportion of those vaccinated that are initially protected, the duration of protection and the coverage achieved by the vaccination programme. The most important epidemiological parameter is the basic reproduction number, R0. Mathematical theory can integrate this information to address such questions as: whether it is possible to eliminate an infection; what proportion of hosts must be vaccinated to achieve this: what age should hosts first be vaccinated; and at what interval should hosts be revaccinated? Examples of rabies in foxes and foot-and-mouth disease in cattle suggest that theory can be used to guide the design of vaccination programmes.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9125355/