UK cattle sector faces loss of only lungworm vaccine

UK cattle farmers are set to lose their only licensed lungworm vaccine after MSD Animal Health confirmed production of Bovilis Huskvac will end following the 2027 season.

The oral vaccine protects young and adult cattle against lungworm, a parasite capable of causing rapidly developing respiratory disease.

Lungworm remains difficult to predict and manage, with coughing and other clinical signs sometimes appearing only after the disease has progressed.

Outbreaks can have serious consequences for animal welfare, milk yields and cattle growth rates.

The Control of Worms Sustainably group, known as COWS, warned that the withdrawal would remove an important tool from farmers’ parasite-control plans.

Cattle vet and COWS member Rob Howe said: “The planned withdrawal of Bovilis Huskvac, the UK’s only licensed lungworm vaccine, risks taking away one of the key tools that have helped many farmers do exactly that.”

He said farmers had spent years being encouraged to use fewer medicines, target treatments more carefully and develop healthier grazing systems.

COWS fears that losing the vaccine could leave producers more likely to use wormers routinely as a precaution.

The group said this could increase reliance on products at a time when resistance to some treatments was already being reported.

Vaccination can also give farmers greater confidence to use wider integrated parasite-management methods.

These include grazing management and the development of immunity to lungworm, alongside targeted treatments and faecal egg counts for managing other gastrointestinal worms.

COWS is now calling for urgent co-operation between government, researchers, veterinary organisations, manufacturers and the wider cattle industry.

“COWS urges industry, government, researchers, veterinary organisations and manufacturers to work collaboratively and urgently explore pathways that could preserve future access to lungworm vaccination, which will support continued development of sustainable parasite control in UK cattle,” Mr Howe said.

The announcement did not set out why production was ending, whether supplies would remain available beyond the 2027 season or whether a replacement vaccine was being developed.

COWS said preserving access to vaccination would be important for maintaining sustainable parasite control and limiting unnecessary wormer use.