• Vaccination
• Vaccination schedule
• Administration
• FAQs

Vaccination provides the best possible protection against reducing the impact of Strangles infection when used alongside good stable management and disease awareness. As an outbreak of Strangles has both welfare and economic consequences to a herd, control of the disease is an important aspect of stable management. We recommend that when a vaccine is used, that all horses in ayard are vaccinated to provide the best protection against the disease.

The vaccine is a very effective way to reduce the impact of strangles infection but is not a substitute for good stable management and disease awareness. A regular program of vaccination for all horses will usually control or very markedly reduce the incidence and severity of strangles disease but is not an absolute preventative. Vaccination will reduce the spread in an outbreak mean that less horses are affected by strangles and often with milder disease with shorter recovery times in these individuals. Thus, vaccination has good benefits and is the best protection possible but does not replace the need for good stable management, disease awareness and procedures for introduction of new horses to a yard.

It has been demonstrated that the vaccinal strain will not pass from one horse to another.

Boosters every three months will maintain continuous active immunity of the vaccinated horses. Boosters every three months are suggested for horses in high risk situations that are likely to have repeated and frequent risk of exposure to and so require continuous immunity against strangles.

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Boosters every six months may be selected by veterinary surgeons for horses in medium risk situations where continuous immunity against strangles is not required. The duration of immunity following vaccination is three months. Therefore for the second three months the horse will have a ‘primed’ immune system but will be at increasing risk of disease should they be challenged with Strep. equi. However a booster at six months will restimulate the immunity. Boosters every six months maintain a horse’s primed status, and if there is a strangles outbreak in the area during the second three months, a simple booster can be given immediately to return the immunity as long as the horse is not already incubating disease.

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Generally strangles vaccination has no effect on whether a horse can be ridden. Some animals may get a swollen lip where the vaccine was given but this is not usually painful and if the horse seems well enough to ride then it usually is. If you have any queries or concerns, always ask your vets for advice.

Yes, but only if the horse has already had a primary course of vaccine. If the horse is up to date on it’s vaccines (i.e. being given every 3 months) then no booster is needed, however if it is between 3 and 6 months since the last strangles vaccine when the outbreak occurs, a booster will rapidly boost the immunity if infection has not already occurred. Only healthy horses with no signs of a temperature should be vaccinated.

The best way to control Strangles is to manage any horses kept together as a group depending on their risk of exposure to strangles. If this is a yard then the best protection will be gained from vaccinating all the horses on the yard as this will reduce the level of challenge. An individual horses on a yard will still benefit from vaccination as their immunity will be higher than any unvaccinated horses however if the level of challenge is very high then there would still be a chance of them showing signs of Strangles and so group management alongside effective stable management and disease awareness will give the best results.

Examples of a high risk horse would include one in an area known to have a lot of Strangles circulating around the horse population or one that is being introduced to a large number of horses from an unknown source and is at high risk of being exposed to strangles infection according to the strangles risk assessment chart.

A medium risk horse would be one in an area where there have been no recent reports of Strangles and who occasionally comes into contact with new horses and is at medium risk of being exposed to strangles infection according to the strangles risk assessment chart.

A low risk horse is one that infrequently comes in to contact with other horses and is at low risk of being exposed to strangles infection according to the strangles risk assessment chart.

No, As this is a live vaccine, antibiotics would interfere with and reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine before it was able to stimulate immunity if they are given at the same time. If you have any concerns about this, speak to your vet.