Vaccine problem ?

[Chicks in VA]

I vaccinated 7 bantams for mereks ( I don't remember how to spell it)
Im concerned that my other non-vaccinated birds might get sick.
And I want to add to the Batman flock but I Really don't want to vaccinate them.

Thoughts ,comments, anything is appreciated!

 

[azygous]

If the question is can your unvaccinated birds catch Marek's from the vaccinated birds, the answer is no. But the vaccinated birds can catch Marek's from the unvaccinated birds if they are carrying the virus. The vaccine merely prevent Marek's tumors, not the virus itself.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I vaccinated 7 bantams for mereks ( I don't remember how to spell it)
Im concerned that my other non-vaccinated birds might get sick.
And I want to add to the Batman flock but I Really don't want to vaccinate them.

Thoughts ,comments, anything is appreciated!

I like it...A Batman Flock!

My thoughts on the Marek's vaccine is quoted below with some additional info that I posted a while back.

That said, vaccination is a very personal choice, and you just really need to weigh the pros/cons and do some research to come to a conclusion as to whether it's something that will benefit your flock and your situation.

I must say I'm not a fan of the Marek's vaccine.

The vaccine can help control the formation of tumors, but it does not prevent infection from the virus. The vaccine may suppress clinical symptoms. It does not prevent shedding.
There's been a LOT of threads over the years with folks having sick vaccinated birds, necropsy revealed a main cause of decline was Marek's. And to be fair, unvaccinated birds have become sick and died as well.

However, if one already has Marek's within their flock, then vaccinating chicks might be beneficial, but it is crucial that vaccinated chicks not be exposed (need to be completely quarantined) for a minimum of 2wks. This would be hard to do in a backyard setting.


The best thing that anyone can do is research on their own and decide for themselves whether vaccination is the right choice for their flock(s). There are a lot of studies published and available, it just takes a lot of time to wade through them.

Dust or dander from infected chickens is particularly effective in transmission. Once the virus is introduced into a chicken flock, regardless of vaccination status, infection spreads quickly from bird to bird. Infected chickens continue to be carriers for long periods and act as sources of infectious virus. Shedding of infectious virus can be reduced, but not prevented, by prior vaccination. https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/neoplasms/marek-s-disease-in-poultry


All MDV vaccines only prevent clinical symptoms, but do not prevent virus replication and shedding in the vaccinated host. While reduced shedding from vaccinated birds has been reported [87,88], these ‘imperfect’ vaccines still allow virus spread and evolution in the field, and are associated with the emergence of field strains with increased virulence https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7139298/

These results show that currently available Rispens CVI988 vaccine virus is shed in significant quantities from vaccinated chickens and transmits effectively between chickens. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23901761/


https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17622613/