Ask The DoctorQ: Is there a vaccine to protect horses from Strangles?A: Yes. A new vaccine, Pinnacle, has become available to horseowners through veterinarians and is produced by the Fort Dodge pharmaceutical company. This new intranasal (given into the nose) vaccine gives greater protection and has less side effects than the previously, and still available, intramuscular vaccine. Pinnacle was introduced early in 1998 as an alternative to the conventional intramuscular vaccine. The intranasal vaccine works primarily at the introductory site of the bacteria, the upper respiratory tract. Pinnacle is a non-infectious live culture that is administered up into the nasal passages. It sticks to and colonizes the mucous membrane lining of the nasal passages. The body reacts to this culture by developing a surface protective barrier of protein antibodies. This protective layer of antibodies then prevents actual Streptococcus equi bacteria from binding to the mucosal surface of the respiratory tract and causing the disease. This new intranasal vaccine acts to prevent the disease causing bacteria from entering the body and is therefore 10-15% more effective (up around 97-99%) than the conventional intramuscular vaccine. It does not give the depression and sore muscles that the intramuscular injection would sometimes cause. Some horses are not thrilled about the intranasal administration and occasionally (20-25%) will have a slight nasal discharge the following day. We have not seen any horses have an adverse reaction or depression from the vaccine. Pinnacle is a yearly vaccine following an initial series of two intranasal doses, 2-3 weeks apart. It is safe for foals, breeding animals and pregnant mares, as well as healthy horses in training or competition. |
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