Vaccines help pigs stay healthy

Antibiotic resistance is becoming one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. The WHO warns that the number of deaths due to antibiotic resistance could reach 10 million people per year by 2050, surpassing HIV/AIDS and malaria.

In Viet Nam, the high rate of antibiotic use, especially in pig farming, is causing the widespread emergence of drug-resistant bacteria. This reality highlights the tight connection between humans, animals, and the environment, following the One Health approach.

Antibiotic resistance is classified by level: MDR (multi-drug resistance), XDR (extensively drug-resistant), and PDR (pan-drug resistant). According to Assoc. Prof. Dr. Vo Thi Tra An, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ho Chi Minh City University of Agriculture and Forestry, the main causes are the misuse of antibiotics, leading bacteria to develop resistance mechanisms such as producing lysing enzymes, increasing drug efflux pumps, or modifying binding targets.

In livestock farming, antibiotics are used for three purposes: treatment, prevention, and growth promotion. The overuse of antibiotics, especially those critical for humans like fluoroquinolones or colistin, increases the risk of multi-drug resistant bacteria spreading to humans through food and the environment.

The amount of antibiotics consumed in Vietnamese livestock farming was estimated at 2,751 tons in 2015, of which pigs alone accounted for 1.600 tons, higher than the amount used in human medicine (1.086 tons). The consequences include reduced treatment effectiveness, increased mortality rates, decreased productivity, and higher production costs. For example, post-weaning diarrhea can lead to a 10-20% mortality rate, while medication costs increase by 2-3 times.

Given this situation, Vietnam has implemented a roadmap for antibiotic reduction. Starting from January 1, 2020, antibiotics used as growth promoters were banned in animal feed. By December 31, 2021, critically important antibiotics were banned in animal feed. The next goal is to completely ban the use of antibiotics for disease prevention starting from January 1, 2026, according to Decree 13/2020/ND-CP and Circular 12/2020/TT-BNNPTNT.

In the context of reducing antibiotic dependency, vaccines affirm their sustainable role. Proactively preventing disease through vaccination, combined with improving housing conditions, biosecurity, and proper nutrition, helps the pig herd maintain health and productivity.

According to Mr. Nguyen Cong Huy, Technical Director of Boehringer Ingelheim Vietnam, experience from the Netherlands shows that antibiotic usage decreased by 70% over 14 years, yet pig productivity still increased significantly. International studies also prove that the PCV2 vaccine reduces the amount of antibiotics used for respiratory diseases by over 50%.

"The oral vaccine Enterisol® Ileitis reduces the amount of antibiotics used for the prevention and treatment of ileitis by up to 79%, and even completely replaces some conventional antibiotics. Another trial showed that pig herds using this vaccine required 36% less antibiotics, while also saving an average of 5.5 euros per animal due to reduced medication costs, optimized feed, and better growth," Mr. Huy shared.

The post-weaning period, when maternal antibodies decline and pigs experience high stress, is a sensitive time, accounting for 80% of antibiotic usage. "Most major diseases in pigs now have effective preventive vaccines, helping pigs build proactive immunity early, overcome the phase of immune crisis, and reduce antibiotic use," Mr. Cong Huy emphasized.

Mr. Huy also noted that gut health is the foundation of productivity, and oral live vaccines create dual immunity (mucosal and cell-mediated) without causing stress to the pigs.

In addition to vaccines, holistic solutions are also crucial. Adhering to the "Five Rights" of antibiotic use: the right disease, the right antibiotic, the right dose, the right route, and the right duration. Applying alternative products such as probiotics, organic acids, and herbal extracts, combined with biosecurity, will enhance health and immunity, reducing the risk of disease outbreaks. Intersectoral coordination among human health, animal health, and environment sectors following the One Health approach helps monitor antibiotic resistance, effectively track, and prevent its spread.

Mr. Niklas Birkner, General Manager of Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Vietnam, emphasized: "When animals are healthy, humans are also healthier." Vaccines and proactive disease prevention solutions are the key to maintaining productivity, ensuring food safety, and limiting antibiotic resistance. Aligning with the Government's roadmap for antibiotic reduction, moving towards the goal of completely banning the use of antibiotics for disease prevention from January 1, 2026, the comprehensive application of these measures is a sustainable step for modern livestock farming.

Currently, Vietnam's pig farming industry is undergoing a strong transformation. The gradual reduction of antibiotic dependence poses a significant challenge for livestock households, but at the same time, it opens up opportunities to enhance product quality and aim for export standards.

Many modern farms have synchronously applied measures of biosecurity, nutritional management, and proactive disease prevention, combined with vaccines, helping to minimize disease risks and treatment costs. Along with the policy of tightening regulations on antibiotics, these efforts are gradually forming a sustainable and safe pig farming industry that both meets the demands of the domestic market and aims for export.