MSD Animal Health UK has developed its Sphereon vaccine technology to extend the range of vaccines it is available for.
Sphereon technology works by freezing live viral vaccines into small, highly soluble spheres which dissolve in water to provide a quick and convenient method for vaccine mixing.
“The highly soluble spheres offer a much quicker alternative to traditional vaccine methods such as glass vials and effervescent tablets,” said Katie Pitman, technical veterinary adviser at MSD Animal Health UK.
“Time trials have demonstrated the convenience of using Sphereon with the preparation of a vaccine using this technology being 25 seconds quicker compared to vaccines prepared from glass vials.”
Sphereon technology was previously used exclusively for Infectious Bronchitis (IB) vaccinations, but vaccinations against Infectious Bursal Disease and Newcastle Disease have now also been introduced to the range.
“One of the key factors of this technology is that aluminium cups do not need to be opened under water which reduces the risk of any contact between the hands of the operator and the vaccine solution, which improves safety and reduces the risk of contamination,” said Pitman.