Johne's vaccination programs are controversial. The majority of the research and academic community believe that they are ineffective at protecting cattle from infection.
In herds with a very high number of cattle infected, Johne's vaccination MAY delay the onset of clinical signs (weight loss and diarrhea). When evaluating the most economical solution in highly infected herds, culling all positive cows may not be feasible, so some producers try vaccination. Vaccination is performed on 30-day-old calves, so it will take at least two years for vaccinated cattle to reach the lactating herd.
The biggest drawback to vaccination is that blood tests cannot be used to monitor the infection rate in the herd. Many vaccinated cattle will show up positive due to antibodies produced by the vaccine. Producers in vaccinated herds must rely on fecal culture which takes up to 12 weeks to get results.
Johne's is a manure management disease. If a producer prevents young calves from consuming manure in any form or quantity, the lion's share of Johne's control is accomplished. Equally important is preventing spread through colostrum from infected/shedding cows. With good management plans, a vaccination program is obsolete and can be discontinued.
Consult your local veterinarian for a control program tailor-made for your operation.
Dick Wallace, Dairy Extension Veterinarian, University of Illinois - Illini DairyNET
Vaccination for Johne's Disease is not approved in all states, so you should check with your veterinarian or state department of agriculture to see if this is even an option to consider.
As stated by Dr. Wallace, management changes other than vaccination appear to be critical in reducing the level of Johne's disease in a herd. Vaccination, by itself, is unlikely to have a significant impact on the level of infection in a herd and should not be thought of as an easy solution for this insidious disease.
If vaccination is implemented as part of a comprehensive Johne's disease management program, it is quite reasonable to discontinue the vaccination component after some years, especially if there is evidence that the infection rate in the herd has decreased. However, the other management practices that were used to control the disease should generally be continued.
Ernest Hovingh, Extension Veterinarian, Penn State University
