Are You Confident in Your PRRS Vaccine’s Cross-Protection?

The wide variety of ever-evolving virus strains is one of the reasons for this level of impact across the industry and on individual operations.  
Vaccination and biosecurity have been, and remain today, our best tools to control and manage the impact and spread of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). To illustrate the potential of commercial vaccines to protect pigs from the most commonly circulating PRRSV strains, Boehringer Ingelheim examined the large volume of peer-reviewed research evaluating the efficacy of multiple PRRS vaccines. Our research shows that for the last 30 years, the right choice for protection hasn’t changed. The ability of INGELVAC PRRS® MLV to provide the broadest cross-protection against PRRSV strains has been supported by more peer-reviewed papers than any other vaccine on the market. 

Exploring cross-protection in commercial PRRS vaccines 

With a virus as diverse as PRRSV, a vaccine with demonstrated cross-protection is invaluable to pork producers — meaning the vaccine will offer protection against the diversity of strains that pose a current and relevant threat to swine production systems today. Cross-protection can be measured by a vaccine’s ability to mitigate the consequences of infection and demonstrate positive bioeconomic results against PRRSV challenge strains within both clinical (lung lesion reduction, viremia, mortality, etc.) and nonclinical (average daily gain, feed conversion rate, etc.) parameters, compared to no intervention. 

Findings from the analysis of studies exploring PRRS vaccine cross-protection led to one key insight: INGELVAC PRRS MLV demonstrated cross-protection against more strains of PRRSV than any other vaccine. 

Among the 10 vaccines included in the research, INGELVAC PRRS MLV had the highest number of peer-reviewed papers (38) across the greatest number of PRRSV strains (41). Of the peer-reviewed literature in the U.S. and Canada, INGELVAC PRRS MLV has been included in nine peer-reviewed papers evaluating protection against eight strains. The next-closest competitors are only included in four studies and four strains.

Learn more about global cross-protection research here. 

PRRS isn’t just a reproductive and respiratory problem

When evaluating a PRRS vaccination protocol, it’s not just a PRRS vaccine that should be taken into account. New research stemming from the Boehringer Ingelheim Dynamic Pig Health research platform showcases how co-infections impact PRRSV management. The research demonstrates for the first time ever that Lawsonia intracellularis and PRRSV, when present together, can contribute to a measurable drag on performance. Specifically, Lawsonia infection is a variable associated with increased mortality and lower weight gain in PRRSV-positive pigs. The study also found that a significant interaction between Lawsonia and porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) impacted mortality in PRRSV-infected groups of pigs.

Boehringer Ingelheim offers a complete and flexible portfolio for whole-herd health, anchored by some of the most trusted and long-standing vaccines on the market for PRRS, PCV2 and Lawsonia. Talk to your Boehringer Ingelheim veterinarian about whether you’re getting the most out of your current PRRS vaccination protocol, or click here to learn more.