Administering vaccines is a standard and\nroutine procedure on cattle operations, whether it be beef cattle, dairy\ncattle, replacement heifers or beef calves. Cattle producers often think of vaccination\nas the physical act of administering the vaccine, but it\u2019s how an animal\u2019s\nimmune system reacts to that vaccine that matters most. The animal\u2019s response\nto the vaccination is called immunization, and that\u2019s our overall goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The purpose of vaccines is to expose the\nanimal to the same germs that cause the disease, either in a killed or weakened\nstate, and enable the animal to begin building immunity against future exposure.\nOnce a vaccine has been administered, either in the nose or under the skin of\nan animal, the vaccine particles; the antigens, such as IBR; should stimulate\nthe animal\u2019s immune system to produce antibodies to that specific vaccine\nparticle. Antibodies play a key role in long-term immunity to some diseases. If\nin the future, an animal becomes infected with a disease for which they have\nbeen vaccinated, memory cells within the immune system remember that disease and\nproduce antibodies when these cells multiply and divide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When an animal becomes infected with an\nintestinal disease, antibodies move from the blood to the intestinal wall and,\nfinally, into the intestinal lumen. These antibodies attach to the\ndisease-causing bacteria or virus and will either carry it out in the feces or\ncarry the germ to the lymph node for processing, killing and removal from the\nbody. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, antibodies in other areas of the body\nwork differently. For example, antibodies working in the lung tissue will\nattach to the bacteria or virus and will help mark it for destruction by other\ncells or, just like in the intestine, may carry it to the lymph node for\nprocessing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some antibodies will remain in the animal\u2019s\nsystem for a few months, while others will remain in the system for years,\nproviding long-term protection against those infections. Tetanus is one example\nof an antigen that stimulates the immune system well. The immune system will\nremember tetanus and the memory cells for a long time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other pathogens, such as a coronavirus, do not stimulate the\nimmune system as well and, therefore, do not produce antibodies that will\nremain in the immune system for very long. Some animals and some humans do not\nrecognize these infections well, because the virus is able to hide from the\nimmune system. The virus continues to multiply and leads to massive numbers of\nvirus particles in the patient while the animal or human has not recognized\nthat they are infected. This ultimately leads to poor stimulation of the\nlong-term memory cells and poor antibody production. This is the reason that\nsome vaccines are administered annually, while others are administered much\nless frequently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All these processes within the immune system\nrequire energy, protein and trace minerals such as copper, zinc, manganese and\nselenium. These trace minerals are involved in many different enzyme systems in\nthe immune system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Zinc works as an antiviral agent by inhibiting\nRNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) \u2013 an enzyme that causes the replication of\nRNA viruses, like the coronavirus and many others that are known to affect\nlivestock and poultry. Additionally, selenium works as an antioxidant, which\nreduces oxidative stress and improves the abilities of neutrophils and\nlymphocytes to identify and clear viral infections. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Copper also helps relieve oxidative stress,\nstimulates T-cell proliferation and helps to produce antibodies and to kill\ncells that have been infected by viruses. Manganese plays a role in mucin\nproduction, which helps prevent pathogens from entering the body in the first\nplace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n