Interpreting vaccine labels

Labels for veterinary vaccines have recently undergone considerable changes to bring greater clarity to the user. Historically, veterinary vaccines were assigned a tier system based on the effectiveness of the protection of the vaccine.137 The tier system was initially not well understood and led to confusion among veterinary practitioners. As a result, the USDA implemented a new rule that requires vaccine labels to contain a simple claim and provide the public the opportunity to view the relevant safety and efficacy studies online.137,138 The new label system states: “This product has been shown to be effective for the vaccination of healthy (name of species, weeks of age or older against name of disease).137 Veterinarians are encouraged to review individual manufacturer efficacy and safety data online at the Licensed Biological Product Information website: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/veterinary-biologics/CT_Vb_licensed_products.


These guidelines are generously supported by Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, Elanco Animal Health, Merck Animal Health and Zoetis Petcare.

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