Strangles vaccine - should we be embracing it more??

Slightlyconfused said:
Is it still given under the upper lip?

To be honest I would just prefer to blood test, a vaccine that has to be given ebery 3 to 6 months in my mind isnt a very good one.

But thata just me
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No, it's just a normal intramuscular injection. Although the manufacturers state more frequently field trials have shown there are still benefits from vaccinating either 6 monthly or annually dependent on the risk of exposure so the same a competition horses being vaccinated for flu. From my own experience where a horse had a false negative blood test I would never rely on it again, the cost and stress of having strangles on a yard can be huge.
 
There have been posts today about strangles being in yards in nw England but no idea where. I've not heard of anything locally.
 
Floofball said:
So sorry your horse had such a bad time with it. I don’t personally know of any horses that have become really poorly with it apart from one that had bastard strangles as a youngster who went on to live to a grand old age. Would you consider vaccinating or do you already?
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I haven’t used the vaccine, but I was tempted having been through what I did.
I was on a large yard at the time and about 1/3 of the horses on the yard got strangles as a result of a horse arriving from a dealer with it. Mine and one other pony were extremely ill with it, both were similar age. Some horses had nothing more than neon snot, some had abscesses, some just were mildly off colour. It varied a lot in how it presented.
My horse spent 5 days pretty much on the floor with at his worst. It was really frightening how unwell he was.

I had 2 others at the time, one stabled next door to my horse who had it and one across the aisle. Neither got it. I was pretty good at changing my clothes etc before handling them, but I did wonder whether that may have both had some natural immunity from it.
That was right in my last few months of my degree. I was trying to study and do my dissertation at the time all this was going on. Not a few months I want to ever repeat!
 
I have been doing a bit of research about this as i’m considering giving it to my horse.
I have also spoken to my vet practice.
There is a 94% success rate at preventing or significantly reducing infection in vaccinated horses.
The vaccine is believed to be effective for up to 400 days after the second dose however this is currently in review and as such 4 to 6 monthly booster is recommended.

Our yard suffered a terrible strangles outbreak about 20yrs ago, just before I was a livery there, although every horse survived, it cost some owners thousands of pounds and took a very long time to get the all clear.
As someone else has said if you had seen a gravely ill horse with strangles, you would be given this vaccine some consideration.

My vet practice is doing a webinar on this next week which I’ll listen to before booking in for a vaccine.
I have included the DEFRA fact sheet for anyone interested.
 
There seems to be a couple of yards every year with it round here, it gets shared on Facebook.

While survival rate seems to be good they are in total lockdown for a long time not just bans on competing but not even hacking out and restrictions on any staff there working elsewhere. Then when they finally get the all clear, many get in a professional company to disinfect.

When I had a horse suspected (it wasn't) the vet visited as the last appointment of the day so as not to take it elsewhere.
 
EventingMum said:
No, it's just a normal intramuscular injection. Although the manufacturers state more frequently field trials have shown there are still benefits from vaccinating either 6 monthly or annually dependent on the risk of exposure so the same a competition horses being vaccinated for flu. From my own experience where a horse had a false negative blood test I would never rely on it again, the cost and stress of having strangles on a yard can be huge.
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We were on a yard about 17 years ago tuat suddenly mandated everyone had to have the vaccine, and if you didnt have it then you were kicked off with no notice, even though we brought evidence that it wasnt that effective. My vets didnt even recommend it.

But we had to give it as couldnt find a yard for four horses, ours and a friend, in 24 hours, we did the first two vacines, £150 per horse and the week before the third one they emailed everyone to say their vets are recommending to stop as its proven to be not that effective. One of mine and a friends had a really sore lump under his top lip for a month after which is why I was asking.

As someone said above that effectiveness could be shown for 400 days if its once a year I would give it.

My boy has cushings and his immune system is not as good as it was so I worry about it causing side effects.
 
Slightlyconfused said:
We were on a yard about 17 years ago tuat suddenly mandated everyone had to have the vaccine, and if you didnt have it then you were kicked off with no notice, even though we brought evidence that it wasnt that effective. My vets didnt even recommend it.

But we had to give it as couldnt find a yard for four horses, ours and a friend, in 24 hours, we did the first two vacines, £150 per horse and the week before the third one they emailed everyone to say their vets are recommending to stop as its proven to be not that effective. One of mine and a friends had a really sore lump under his top lip for a month after which is why I was asking.

As someone said above that effectiveness could be shown for 400 days if its once a year I would give it.

My boy has cushings and his immune system is not as good as it was so I worry about it causing side effects.
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Likewise, I had the ones into the lip done years ago on our horses that were out and about a lot but really hated them, one horse hated having her lip touched afterwards. A third of the horses on my yard had the first injection of the current vaccine the week before last and no one reacted. This was horses aged from 5 to 22.
 
EventingMum said:
Likewise, I had the ones into the lip done years ago on our horses that were out and about a lot but really hated them, one horse hated having her lip touched afterwards. A third of the horses on my yard had the first injection of the current vaccine the week before last and no one reacted. This was horses aged from 5 to 22.
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Thank you.

I will chat with my vet when she is out in a few weeks to do the stim test.
 
Birker2020 said:
Nope never.

Our vet used a strangles vaccine on a good third of the horses on the yard going back around ten years ago now. Mine didn't have the vaccination as he was on antibiotics at the time, thank God. A lot of the horses reacted quite badly to the vaccine, and within a few hours.

I walked down the yard aisles and despite me being at work when the horses were vaccinated I could tell immediately by looking through the stable bars which horses had been vaccinated and what horses hadn't just by their demeanour. Their symptoms ranged from dull, listless, not eating, very quiet and one had colic which was remedied easily enough, another horse, a mare ended up with an enlarged heart which came about in the days following the vaccine. The vet contacted the drug manufacturer and the girl whose horse had to have ECG's and goodness knows what else had her vets bills paid by the drug company.

The vet said he'd never administer another strangles vaccine again. I certainly wouldn't use the vaccine if I was offered it for my horse. I forget what company it was now, it was one of the big pharamceutical companies. It was all the same batch.
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The vaccine that was used 10 years ago is very different to the one used now.

Nowadays it is a simple intramuscular injection, not into the lip.

From an abstract:

'Development of a subunit vaccine (Strangvac) from fusion of recombinant Streptococcus equi proteins offers a new tool in the management of infection with Streptococcus equi subspecies equi. Experience to date indicates that the vaccine is effective in limiting disease spread, and through inclusion of only the desired proteins needed for induction of an effective immune response, the safety profile appears far better than with previous vaccines. '

We have had 3 horses done, 3 times each now. Our vet's recommendation for us is 5 monthly, with the option to boost sooner if we feel the risk warrants it.
 
Vaccinating for strangles is fairly standard practice in other parts of the world.
In Aus most horses on busy liveries or going out competing after the initial course did flu & strangles annually. No real noticeable side effects other than being a bit flat for a day or two after. Having seen horses suffering with full blown strangles I think being down for a day or two is preferable.

Not sure if it's the same vaccine that's being offered here but would be surprised if there are many variations available.
 
I've never been offered this vaccine, so interesting read. there was a few cases on 1 yard near to my area about 9 months ago, but not heard of anymore since then.
 
Having been an early adopter of the strangles vaccine last time around I will not be in any rush to be so again .
All my horses were ill and one required veterinary attention in the middle of the night after his dose .
I will be letting others go first this time .
My horses are at home and not going to shows I might well take another view if they where on a busy yard.
 
Goldenstar said:
I will be letting others go first this time .
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The new vaccine (Strangvac) has been in use in the UK for four years now so it's not particularly new anymore - there's a reasonable amount of information out there about it, and how horses tend to react. The current vaccine is a different manufacturer and a different vaccine to the old, "in the lip" one.
 
I’m in two minds whether to get the vaccine. I’m in South Essex and there are 5/6 yards I know of that have strangles inc my friends horse at another yard. Our yard has taken the decision to restrict movement on/off the yard, no instructors etc due to the size and risk levels. Whilst I’d be sensible in going off the yard when the restrictions lift, I have a couple of horsey holidays booked this summer and am conscious that no matter how careful I am, my horse will have possible exposure to the virus in stables/fields etc. My concern is that our vets (who are big in the area), have it used it before. There seems to be limited first hand knowledge of the vaccine/risks etc. and you hear all these things about new vaccine side effects (COVID and we have that experience first hand unfortunately). Hence looking on here for feedback and advice! I have a healthy 5 year old, but I’m conscious of what we plan to do this year. Thoughts. Yay or nay ?
 
wanderersmelody said:
you hear all these things about new vaccine side effects (COVID and we have that experience first hand unfortunately).
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It's not all that new - it's been in use in the UK four years without any particular issues. In your situation I would just get it booked and give your horse a couple of sachets of bute at the same time in case of stiffness (unless there's a reason specific to your horse why your vet says not to). Then have someone keep an eye on him for the rest of the day in case he still feels sorry for himself. But that's just my opinion, no one can tell you what to do with vaccines (except flu of course because it's mandatory for everything).
 
Horses on our yard have become ill after receiving their 2nd dose of the vaccine. Not just stiffness, but one sided, hind end or shoulder lameness, unable to move necks down, weakness, and pain. Vet has not bothered to re visit, and a few are still on 4 Bute per day, 4 days on. All were healthy horses in good condition. 10 out of 12 have had symptoms and they are not mild.
 
I don’t have manufacturer details as I opted out of this vaccine. Will the vet not do this automatically?
 
Surely, the primary concern should be about improving biosecurity education and practice amongst the horse owning population, before rushing to a blanket programme of vaccinating all horses, regardless of age or environment.
My horse is on a 60 horse yard, many of whom compete or hunt. The YO is an old school horsewoman who runs the yard to a high standard. Wash boxes and water buckets are scrubbed out daily. Stables are jet washed and disinfected each summer or after a change of horse. There is an isolation box and paddock. Most importantly, the YO can tell you every scratch, bump or snuffle on each horse before their owners have. Such standards possibly go a long way into preventing outbreaks of diseases or containing them.
 
Gloi said:
I'd check. Or get an owner of an affected one, that the vet has bothered to do this.
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Given that the vet "has not bothered to re-visit" (seems bizarre to me, if my horse was in enough pain to be on four Bute a day after a vaccination the vet would be back out within a day and it would not be a discussion!) I would definitely be reporting that myself, straight back to the manufacturer. That's a hugely above average rate of reactions.
 
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