Vaccination administration via gel saves time, labor and money

New study points to cost savings of $0.10 per pig when using innovative oral delivery 

A healthy gut optimizes pig performance. Enteric diseases, especially those caused by Salmonella and  Lawsonia intracellularis, are extremely prevalent, and can cause significant drags on performance, making it especially important to protect against them. Effective modified-live vaccines are available for Salmonella and Lawsonia, and traditionally have been administered orally either via drench or drinking water. Now, another oral delivery method via gel has emerged, enabling significant time-, labor- and money-saving benefits.  

Boehringer Ingelheim launched an oral gel administration method for its Lawsonia and Salmonella   (Choleraesuis and Typhimurium) vaccines, ENTERISOL® ILEITIS and ENTERISOL SALMONELLA T/C®, allowing vaccinations to be administered prior to weaning, while offering a significantly faster option to traditional vaccination methods. Previous research demonstrated the time-saving benefits of gel application.

In a study trial, featuring the use of a commercial backpack doser, gel administration supported the vaccination of 48 litters, or approximately 578 piglets, in around three minutes, compared to the estimated hour or more it would take to handle and orally drench the same number of piglets individually.¹  A more recent study further demonstrated these time-saving benefits: The gel method took an average of two-and-a-half minutes to vaccinate an average of 256 pigs over 24 crates, compared to one hour to vaccinate the same number of piglets via oral drench.²  

This study also explored the cost savings associated with oral gel administration, compared to an oral drench method. In the study, the average cost to vaccinate three farrowing rooms was:

• $0.14 per pig for oral drench
• $0.035 per pig for gel administration.

A worker salary of $18 per hour was assumed for the study, and included $0.03 per pig for the cost of gel in the cost analysis. Factors contributing to these cost savings were largely tied to labor: Two people were required to vaccinate by oral drench while only one person was required to vaccinate by gel using the backpack sprayer. The cost analysis revealed gel vaccination was significantly more economical and less labor-intensive compared to oral drenching.²  

How gel works  

Once the gel is prepared and combined with the vaccine, the mixture can then be sprayed directly onto farrowing crate mats. For optimal administration speed, using a backpack doser to spray mats is recommended.     From there, piglets essentially vaccinate themselves by rooting around and ingesting the gel and vaccine. A pig behavior study demonstrated piglets could ingest the vaccine in as little as 30 minutes.¹ 

Peace of mind beyond time and cost savings 

In addition to being safe, convenient and effective, vaccination with the ENTERISOL portfolio provides peace of mind regarding efficacy in the face of maternal antibodies and commonly circulating Salmonella strains – including both Salmonella Choleraesuis and Typhimurium.  

With growing pressure and government regulation to reduce Salmonella in processing plants, controlling the bacterium at the barn level is becoming increasingly important for producers. Choosing a vaccine with proven protection against monophasic Salmonella— a variant of the Salmonella Typhimurium serotype and the predominant Salmonella strain circulating today posing both a swine and human health risk — can be another safeguard in producing safe, high-quality pork. ENTERISOL SALMONELLA T/C is the only oral, avirulent live vaccine containing both the Salmonella Typhimurium and Choleraesuis serotypes and has demonstrated protection against monophasic Salmonella as measured by decreased clinical signs and intestinal lesions as well as improved average daily gain.^4–6  

Some vaccines can be rendered less effective, due to maternally derived immunity (MDI). Vaccinating pigs that have MDI could result in vaccine interference, leading to decreased immune response and diminishing returns on your vaccine investment, so it could be advantageous to choose a Lawsonia vaccination protocol with proven protection in the presence of MDI. Research has shown pigs can be successfully vaccinated with ENTERISOL ILEITIS even in the presence of MDI.³ 

More info here

References  

1 Data on file at Boehringer Ingelheim.   

2 Duhe G, et al. Investigation of a compliance marker and cost of Salmonella vaccination by gel and oral drench. Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc.  

3 Kroll J, et al. Maternal immunity associated with Lawsonia intracellularis exposure and vaccination, in Proceedings. 18th IPVS Congress 2004;255.  

4 Naberhaus SA, Krull AC, Bradner LK, et al. Emergence of Salmonella enterica serovar, 4,[5],12:i:- as the primary serovar identified from swine clinical samples and development of a multiplex real-time PCR for improved Salmonella serovar-level identification. J Vet Diagn Invest 2019;31(6):818–827.  

5Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica 1,4,[5],12:i:-. Summary. Swine Health Information Center. 2021;1–19.  

6 Leite F, Arruda P, Jordan D, Bearson S. ENTERISOL SALMONELLA T/C® vaccine reduces the clinical impact and colonization of monophasic Salmonella enterica serovar I 4,[5],12:i:-, in Proceedings. SafePork 2023 (iastatedigitalpress.com). 

ENTERISOL® and ENTERISOL SALMONELLA T/C® are registered trademarks of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH, used under license. ©2025 Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health USA Inc., Duluth, GA. All rights reserved. US-POR-0026-2025-A