MSD Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, N.J., USA, and Automazioni VX Inc. introduced the Innoject Pro, a newly designed subcutaneous chick vaccination technology. Featuring an innovative eye and nasal drop vaccination system in combination with the dual subcutaneous application, Innoject Pro provides increased accuracy of injection and greater stability during the vaccination process, reducing stress to chicks and improving operator safety. The 2020 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) is being held in Atlanta, Georgia, from January 28-30.

The technology will be utilised in combination with MSD Animal Health’s Innovax^® range of vaccines that provide long-term protection against major infectious diseases in poultry, including Innovax^®-ND-IBD, a unique vaccine that provides long-term protection against Newcastle Disease (ND), Infectious Bursal Disease (IBD) and Marek’s Disease (MD), in a single dose.

“We are excited to combine MSD Animal Health’s broad range of vaccines with Innoject Pro’s precise vaccination technology, which delivers a vaccine dose gently and accurately,” said Taylor Barbosa, DVM, Ph.D., ACPV, Executive Director, Global Poultry Marketing, MSD Animal Health. “As world poultry production continues to increase to meet growing demand, MSD Animal Health is committed to working with our partners to innovate solutions for improved disease control and to effectively sustain the growth of the poultry industry.”

Innoject Pro’s eye and nasal drop system gently delivers a highly accurate dose through the chicks’ ocular ducts and nostrils at the same time as the subcutaneous vaccination process. By limiting the movement and lifting of the chicks that was required by previous technologies, Innoject Pro virtually eliminates the risk of injury or a missed dose. Less moving parts increase safety for chick as well as the operator.

“Innoject Pro was designed to enhance animal wellbeing by helping to ensure that chicks are handled gently, safely and free of stress during the vaccination process,” said Mauro Feltrin, CTO, FM Automazioni Devices Automazioni VX Inc. “Along with gentle handling, the accurate application of vaccine can effectively eliminate the stress of vaccination, and we are proud to partner with MSD Animal Health to bring this innovation to poultry producers.”

Innoject Pro also features a unique disinfection system that sprays disinfectant on the injection needles between vaccinations, helping to improve biosecurity and reduce contamination. In addition, with the capability to connect with the hatchery network through Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, information from the vaccination process can be directly integrated into the hatchery’s data management system to optimise performance.

Innovax^® is administered at the hatchery, where better process control is possible compared to field application of respiratory vaccines. A life-long duration of immunity is stimulated by a single, non-reactive hatchery vaccination.

MSD Animal Health’s commitment to poultry innovation

MSD Animal Health is committed to offering unique learning opportunities for customers at IPPE. Together with partners Automazioni VX Inc. and Vinovo, MSD Animal Health will host demonstrations of the latest hatchery solutions to maximise the accuracy and efficiency of vaccine delivery, including subcutaneous vaccination, in ovo vaccination, and constant pressure spray technology. These devices can be used in complement with the Innovax^® range of vaccines to optimise protection against common infectious poultry diseases.

At the MSD Animal Health booth, veterinarians and hatchery and production managers also will have the opportunity to learn about the benefits of vaccinating with Innovax^® based on the type of hatchery. In addition, they can learn about MSD Animal Health’s Convenience Program, which combines disease protection and process control to improve poultry production. The programme provides a customised vaccination protocol based on disease risk analysis, and offers ongoing support through training, post-vaccination monitoring and evaluation of factors such as flock uniformity, feed utilisation and processing plant efficiency.