Adjuvant Advantages

Many vaccines contain an adjuvant, which is an ingredient added to a vaccine to increase its effectiveness by strengthening the animal’s immune response. This gives the animal longer lasting protection and, in many cases, provides a more balanced immunity.

Adjuvants come in many formulas and strengths, which are matched to the disease that the vaccine or bacterin is designed to protect against. Adjuvants may be either oil-based or water-based depending on what is needed to effectively deliver and enhance the vaccine’s antigens. Water-based adjuvants are not as strong as those that are oil-based, but may be less irritating and less likely to cause a reaction.

Stimulating the immune system is a must when vaccinating. The addition of an adjuvant to a vaccine will produce a superior response in most animals.

Novartis Animal Health products are formulated with several different adjuvants.

The Xtend III and Xtend SP adjuvants are oil-based emulsions that boost the animal’s immune response to greater levels that many other adjuvants, and hold the vaccine antigens at the injection site, slowly releasing them into the bloodstream and lymph for longer-lasting immunity.

SuprImm is a biodegradable adjuvant that uses a water-in-oil-in-water emulsion process. This allows a prolonged release of antigens, which quickly draws immune cells to the injection site to stimulate longer, more-thorough immune stimulation. SuprImm is safe, easy to use, very syringeable at any temperature, and effective for use with a wide range of viral and bacterial antigens. The USDA has recently approved a 21-day withdrawal for this adjuvant in swine.

Aluminum-based adjuvants have a long history in human and veterinary vaccines as being safe, effective and easy to use. Aluminum hydroxide gel and alum are the most common forms of this type of adjuvant system. This adjuvant class is characterized with electrostatic binding sites that attract and bind the bacteria and soluble antigens. These held antigens are then released over time to stimulate an enhanced immune response. Aluminum hydroxide-adjuvanted products are smooth and highly syringeable.