Glacier FarmMedia – Researchers at the University of Calgary are one step closer to introducing a vaccine that will help dairy producers combat Johne’s disease in cattle. The ailment, closely related to tuberculosis, can be found in all ruminants but has particularly high incidence in dairy cattle. That is believed to be connected to herd […] Read more
Tag Archives vaccines — page 2
Researchers work to develop Johne’s vaccine
Two Canadian universities are developing vaccines, with plans to see if they can be combined
Clostridium perfringens a good reason to keep up livestock vaccines
Other common vaccines offer some protection but not against Clostridium perfringens A
In the cattle industry, we don’t pay much attention to the clostridium perfringens group of diseases because most producers vaccinate for it in one form or another. These diseases are covered in the multivalent clostridial vaccines. Also, certain ones are covered in the scours vaccines so calves get protection in the colostrum and then are […] Read more
Vaccines not best option for African swine fever
Researcher: “The virus is so variable we can’t design a vaccine for all the genotypes”
Glacier FarmMedia – In the last three years, the African swine fever virus has killed millions of pigs and forced producers to cull tens of millions of pigs in China, Vietnam, Eastern Europe and elsewhere. In late July, the deadly virus was detected in the Dominican Republic, the first time it’s been in the Americas […] Read more
Could COVID vaccine development speed change the game for food?
Could bio-innovation be the disruptive technology that addresses the challenges of feeding a growing population and reversing climate change? A McKinsey Global Institute report was released in May 2020 called The Bio Revolution: Innovations transforming economies, societies and our lives. It surveyed scientific advances and explored 400 use cases to create a roadmap of the […] Read more
Testing delays prevent TFWs from getting to work
Lost tests and longer-than expected results create farmer and worker stress
[UPDATED: May 13, 2021] The road to getting Temporary Foreign Workers from their flight to the field is fraught with COVID-19 challenges this season. Workers arriving at Pearson International Airport are offered a COVID-19 vaccine and receive the first of a two-step remote COVID-19 swab test. Why it matters: Producers depend on temporary foreign workers […] Read more
Vaccinations come to Ontario farm country
The local health unit interpretation of provincial guidelines determines local access
The agriculture sector isn’t needling the province to organize vaccine clinics for workers. Many employers are stepping up to make sure it gets done. Agriculture sector workers, including those in processing, temporary foreign workers (TFWs) and those in food production, including farmers, were eligible for Phase Two pre-registration in early March. By mid-April, many still […] Read more
Editorial: Regulatory agility critical to ag innovation
The pandemic has shown that governments can make decisions quickly
One of the lessons of the pandemic and response to it by governments and regulatory agencies is that regulatory agility is possible. COVID-19 vaccines have been approved with record speed, and from what I can find, the government says that the same vigour of process has also been applied. The only point missing is long-term […] Read more
Comment: Vaccines need national co-ordination
The federal government should be taking a more assertive position in the roll out of COVID-19 vaccines. When the first batch of vaccines arrived in Canada, Ottawa released recommendations on who should receive the first doses — but the ultimate discretion was left to individual provinces. Recommendations, according to the federal government, were made to […] Read more
Food processing workers get Phase 2 vaccine access
Meat processors and investigators eligible for COVID vaccines in next phase
Livestock producers and processors are more optimistic now that processing workers and inspectors will be vaccinated as part of Phase Two. “We recognize first responders, healthcare workers, and those in long-term care must be prioritized in terms of first access to vaccines,” said Rob Lipsett, Beef Farmers of Ontario (BFO) president. “However, we are thankful […] Read more
Rural vaccine rollout will need to be prioritized
Moderna could be the only vaccine option for parts of rural and Northern Ontario
Rural and northern areas of Ontario will likely not see a vaccine rollout until the early part of 2021, and then the limited numbers will mean prioritization. The Moderna vaccine, which doesn’t require the same stringent ultra-cold storage protocols as its Pfizer-BioNTech counterpart, is ideal for distribution in rural, northern and remote areas. The question […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
