United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture 

Veterinary Services 

Centers for Epidemiology and Animal Health April 2013 

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

Vaccine Usage in U.S. Feedlots1

Feedlots receive cattle from many sources, and these 

cattle can become exposed to pathogens not previously 

encountered when commingled at the feedlot. In some 

cases, these cattle travel over long distances and 

through various marketing channels en route to the 

feedlot, which can increase the risk of infection. In order 

to optimize the health and subsequent productivity of 

cattle in the feedlot, operators use various management 

strategies to help cattle adapt to their new environments 

and to stimulate effective immune responses to common 

pathogens. The use of vaccines is one means of 

enhancing cattle immunity in feedlots. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National 

Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) conducted 

the Feedlot 2011 study, an in-depth look at large 

feedlots (capacity of 1,000 or more head ) in 12 States,2

and small feedlots (capacity of fewer than 1,000 head) in 

13 States.3

 As part of the NAHMS Feedlot 2011 study, 

data were collected on vaccine use for cattle in U.S. 

feedlots. 

This information sheet describes vaccination 

practices for cattle on large feedlots, which were divided 

into two groups: those with a capacity of 1,000 to 7,999 

head and those with a capacity of 8,000 or more head. 

These feedlots accounted for 82.1 percent of the 

January 1, 2011, inventory in all U.S. feedlots, but only 

2.8 percent of all feedlots. 

Percentage of feedlots vaccinating 

More than 90 percent of feedlots vaccinated at least 

some cattle for bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) virus or 

infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) [table 1]. Other 

vaccines commonly used included those for bovine 

respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) [89.5 percent of 

feedlots], parainfluenza 3 (PI3) [85.1 percent], clostridial 

diseases (84.4 percent), Histophilus somni (69.7 

percent), and Pasteurella4

 (63.8 percent).

 

1 Feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head. 2 Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, New 

Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Washington. 

3 Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, 

Nebraska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin. 

4 Includes Pasteurella multocida and Mannheimia hemolytica.

 

Table 1. Percentage of feedlots that gave cattle 

placed on feed the following vaccines, and 

percentage of cattle that received the vaccines 

Vaccine 

Percent 

feedlots 

Percent 

cattle 

BVD 96.6 95.1 

IBR (red nose) injectable 93.7 93.2 

IBR, intranasal 52.1 13.4 

PI3 85.1 55.1 

BRSV 89.5 61.4 

Histophilus somni 69.7 27.8 

Pasteurella* 63.8 28.6 

Leptospira 

spp. (lepto) 21.8 12.3 

Salmonella (e.g., 

Salmonella Newport 

SRP®) 

6.5 5.2 

Mycoplasma bovis 21.8 6.1 

Autogenous vaccine 5.4 3.8 

E. coli (e.g., Epitopix SRP 

or Econiche) 2.4 0.1 

Clostridial 84.4 62.4 

Other vaccine 5.8 1.1 

*Includes Pasteurella multocida and Mannheimia hemolytica.

With the exception of those used to prevent 

clostridial diseases, all of the vaccines used in the 

majority of feedlots were directed at pathogens 

associated with respiratory disease in feedlot cattle. This 

finding was expected, since the majority of morbidity and 

mortality associated with feedlot cattle are due to 

respiratory diseases. Approximately one of five feedlots 

used vaccines directed at Leptospira or Mycoplasma for 

any cattle placed. Very few feedlots (less than 10 

percent) used vaccines against potential food safety 

pathogens, including Salmonella (6.5 percent) and E. 

coli (2.4 percent). 
United States Department of Agriculture • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service • Safeguarding American Agriculture 

Percentage of cattle vaccinated 

More than 90 percent of cattle placed in feedlots 

received vaccines for BVD and IBR viruses (table 1). A 

majority of cattle placed in feedlots were vaccinated for 

clostridial disease (62.4 percent), BRSV (61.4 percent), 

and PI3 (55.1 percent). There were few differences by 

feedlot capacity or region in the percentages of cattle 

vaccinated for various disease agents (table 2). The use 

of a vaccine containing PI3 was more common for cattle 

placed in feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 to 7,999 head 

(81.3 percent) than in feedlots with capacity of 8,000 or 

more head (51.7 percent). Likewise, the use of vaccines 

containing BRSV and Histophilus somni was more 

common in feedlots with capacity of 1,000 to 7,999 head 

than feedlots with a capacity of 8,000 or more head. 

Table 2. Percentage of feedlots that gave cattle 

placed on feed the following vaccines, and 

percentage of cattle that received the vaccines, by 

feedlot capacity 

 Percent feedlots Percent cattle 

Feedlot capacity 

Vaccine 

1,000–

7,999 

head 

8,000 or 

more 

head 

1,000–

7,999 

head 

8,000 or 

more 

head 

PI3 87.6 79.2 81.3 51.7 

BRSV 87.8 93.5 88.6 57.9 

Histophilus somni 74.0 59.3 55.0 24.3 

Pasteurella* 66.1 58.2 42.7 26.8 

*Includes Pasteurella multocida and Mannheimia hemolytica. 

Comparison of feedlots vaccinating and cattle 

vaccinated 

Comparing the frequency of vaccine use by feedlots 

and the percentage of cattle vaccinated can give some 

indication as to the patterns of vaccine use. 

Discrepancies in the frequency of vaccine use at the 

feedlot and cattle levels can arise from differential use by 

feedlot capacity or by selective use within feedlots. Since 

there were no differences by feedlot capacity in the 

percentage of feedlots that vaccinated at least some 

cattle for various disease agents, it appears that there 

was differential use of the vaccines within feedlots. 

Selective use of various vaccines may be based on the 

type of cattle (age, breed) or on the source of the cattle. 

Cattle from some regions or cattle transiting different 

marketing channels may be handled differently with 

regard to vaccination protocols. For example, the 

percentage of cattle vaccinated and the percentage of 

feedlots using the vaccine are substantially different 

(30 percent or more) for intranasal IBR, PI3, Histophilus 

somni, and Pasteurella. 

Summary 

Virtually all feedlots vaccinate some cattle for two 

key respiratory pathogens, BVD and IBR viruses, 

leading to nearly all cattle placed in feedlots being 

vaccinated for these two disease agents. There appears 

to be less industry-wide agreement on the need or the 

effectiveness of the other vaccine products available for 

use in feedlot cattle. Very few feedlots (5.4 percent) 

used an autogenous vaccine for any animals placed, 

and overall only 3.8 percent of cattle placed in feedlots 

received such a vaccine. 

Vaccination is an important tool for disease control 

in cattle feedlots, but is not the only tool available to 

producers to prevent disease and losses due to animal 

morbidity and mortality. Other tools include exposure 

management through cattle-handling protocols, 

enhancement of immune system function through cattle 

handling and nutrition, and the use of antimicrobial 

products. 

______________________________ 

For more information, contact: 

USDA–APHIS–VS–CEAH–NAHMS 

NRRC Building B, M.S. 2E7 

2150 Centre Avenue 

Fort Collins, CO 80526-8117 

970.494.7000 

http://nahms.aphis.usda.gov

#672.0513

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