The current shortage of Bovivac-S, one of MSD’s best-selling vaccines in Ireland, is expected to last until the start of May after a batch failure.

“These batch failures are not uncommon,” said Fergal Morris of MSD.

“This one just came at a time of peak capacity,” Morris added

The drug is manufactured in a two-step process, at factories in Spain and the UK.

Once made up, the vaccine is then put into storage for a period prior to a potency test which ensures that it will fulfil its purpose in a farm environment. The batch in question was significant in size and failed this test.

New batches have since been manufactured and are currently in storage prior their test.

“I am confident that the drug will be back on the market by the start of May,” Morris added.

Salmonella is the most common cause of infectious bovine abortion in Ireland. It is shed in faeces and milk and can be spread via animal-to-animal contact, slurry or feed/water troughs.

Salmonella vaccination is uncommon in most of Europe, with Ireland, Holland and the UK being the main markets for the product.

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Biosecurity - a word which really means common sense