A significant number of diseases, from botulism and bovine ephemeral fever to brucellosis, lumpy skin disease, and rabies, can be contracted by dairy cows living in crowded conditions. To prevent epidemics that can also affect humans, they have to be vaccinated against.
The word “epidemic” should by now send shivers down the spines not only of vets and farmers but of the entire world population, after the devastating COVID-19 pandemic. But not all dairy farmers in Israel or other countries actually give their bovines the necessary shots. A new Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HU) study has identified major factors that influence farmers when deciding if to vaccinate their animals.
Regulations, guidelines, and laws involving livestock vaccinations vary by country and region, often combining mandatory and voluntary programs to safeguard animal health and food safety. For instance, the European Union and Israel have specific vaccination protocols, while organizations such as Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA), founded in the UK in 1997, promote responsible use of medicines – especially antibiotics – in farm animals, provide non-binding guidelines.
By comparing the five diseases affecting dairy cattle, the researchers suggest that social pressure has a great influence on their decisions. The team called for better communication between farmers and veterinarians to increase the administering of vaccinations that are not required by state law or regulations. These findings are crucial for enhancing epidemic control and ensuring the health and productivity of dairy farms.
The study is based on the Theory of Planned Behavior that claims behavioral intention is driven by attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control.
Dairy farmer deliberations
The researchers, headed by Prof. Eyal Klement and doctoral student Michal Morgenstern from HU’s Koret School of Veterinary Medicine in Rehovot, in collaboration with Dr. Jaap Sok from the business economics department at Wageningen University in the Netherlands, describe what influences the dairy farmers when deciding on the shots.
Effective vaccination is crucial for preventing epidemics, especially when farmers are not required to apply vaccinations against all the potential bovine diseases. Despite this, farmers and vets have shown little understanding of the importance of communicating with each other, and it is disease-specific traits that influence the farmers’ decisions.
The new study, just published in the journal Preventive Veterinary Medicine under the title “Would you bet on the vet? examines the influences on dairy farmers’ vaccination choices, with a spotlight on the veterinarian impact,” by analyzing responses from 340 Israeli dairy farmers, using questionnaires grounded in the theory of planned behavior. Vets whose job is monitoring these farms also provided insights into their opinions and perceived influence on deciding what shots to provide.
The findings revealed varying levels of plans by dairy farmers, with the vaccine against botulism – a deadly bacterial intoxication – most commonly given voluntarily and bovine ephemeral fever – an arthropod-borne viral disease – the least likely to be given.
The study found that social pressure on farmers significantly influenced their decisions, with distinct patterns emerging across different diseases. Notably, veterinarian opinions had the highest influence only for lumpy skin disease – an arthropod-borne viral pandemic – while other factors played critical roles regarding other infections. Interestingly, there was no correlation between veterinarians’ recommendations and the way the farmers viewed these recommendations.
Klement and his team stressed the need for customized interventions to optimize voluntary vaccination programs.
What the study has to say
“The study highlights the multifaceted influences on farmers’ vaccination intentions, especially the impact of perceived social pressure,” he said, “but variations exist among several diseases, and there is a notable disconnection between veterinarians’ opinions and how they’re perceived by farmers. This discrepancy suggests potential communication breakdowns.”
However, understanding what sways farmers’ decision-making processes beyond these rules is vital, the team wrote. Discrepancies between farmers and vets can lead to communication breakdown.
“These factors significantly impact the effectiveness of voluntary vaccination programs, as farmers’ choices are shaped by a complex interplay of social norms, trust in veterinarians, and perceived cost-benefit analyses.
The team called for vets who have significant medical expertise to guide vaccination choices and improve their communication with farmers.