Vaccines

Livestock vaccines Pet vaccines

Why vaccines matter

Vaccines are one of the most important tools available to prevent infectious diseases in animals. By preparing the immune system to respond quickly to future exposure, vaccines can reduce illness, suffering and death, while helping animals remain healthy and productive. For farmers, veterinarians and animal owners, vaccination supports animal welfare, food security, biosecurity and the responsible use of antibiotics.

In Australia, veterinary vaccines are assessed by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Agency (APVMA) to ensure they meet regulatory requirements for human and animal safety, efficacy, the environment and for international trade obligations. This regulatory system provides confidence that registered vaccines meet required standards for quality, safety and efficacy, and that product labels give veterinarians, farmers and animal owners clear directions for correct storage, handling and use.

A strong regulatory framework also supports timely access to vaccines that help manage endemic diseases and prepare for emerging biosecurity threats. By enabling safe and effective vaccines to reach the people who need them, animal medicines play an important role in protecting animal health, livestock production and the wider community.

Veterinary vaccines also contribute to Australia’s biosecurity by helping prevent, control and reduce the impact of infectious animal diseases. They are part of a broader suite of biosecurity tools that also includes surveillance, diagnostics, intelligence gathering, decision support, modelling and coordinated emergency response planning.

Livestock vaccines

In Australia, vaccination is a core part of preventative livestock health management. Used alongside good biosecurity, nutrition, husbandry and veterinary advice, vaccines help reduce the incidence and severity of disease in livestock, protect animal welfare, support productivity and contribute to more sustainable food production and thus, food security.

By preventing disease before it occurs, livestock vaccines also support responsible antimicrobial stewardship. Healthy, protected animals are less likely to need antibiotic treatment, helping farmers and veterinarians reduce the need to use these critical products while maintaining high standards of animal health and welfare.

Good vaccination practice

• Develop vaccination programs with a veterinarian or qualified animal health adviser as part of a written herd or flock health plan.
• Base vaccine choices on local disease risk, farm history, diagnostics, rainfall, trading patterns, cattle or sheep movements and biosecurity arrangements.
• Read and follow the product label, including dose, route of administration, timing between doses and booster requirements.
• Store, transport and administer vaccines correctly. Vaccines are sensitive to heat, freezing and sunlight, so maintaining the cold chain is essential.
• Do not assume purchased livestock have been adequately vaccinated unless reliable vaccination records are provided.
• Use vaccination alongside, not instead of, good husbandry, nutrition, hygiene, quarantine and disease surveillance.

Pet Vaccines

If you share your life with a dog or cat, vaccinations are one of the simplest and most effective ways to help protect their health.

In short, dogs and cats need a set of core vaccinations that protect them against serious and highly contagious diseases. Depending on your pet’s lifestyle, environment and risk of exposure, your vet may also recommend additional non-core vaccines.

Vaccinations don’t just protect your own pet. They also help reduce the spread of disease in the wider pet community, which helps keep other dogs and cats safe too.

Why vaccinating our pets is important

Vaccination is a foundational part of preventive healthcare for companion animals. Vaccines work by teaching a dog or cat’s immune system to recognise specific infectious diseases and respond quickly if exposure occurs.

Many vaccine-preventable diseases are highly contagious and can cause severe illness, long-term health impacts or death. Preventing disease through timely vaccination is generally safer, more effective and less costly than attempting to treat serious infection after it has taken hold.

Vaccination also delivers a broader community benefit. When more pets are protected, the spread of infectious disease is reduced, helping safeguard puppies, kittens, senior animals and pets with health conditions that may make them more vulnerable.

For Animal Medicines Australia, this reflects the important role of safe, effective and accessible veterinary medicines in supporting animal health, responsible pet ownership and healthier communities.