Just quickly-- I am a bit fan of vaccinations. In this day and age of hightech vaccines, most vaccines can be made quickly and safely with few side effects.
My understanding of the Mereck vaccine is that the bird can still get the disease but not the tumors. So, perhaps that is what you are alluding to SeminoleWInd; the second point, that Icannot confirm but is the point of the vaccine , is that when exposed the body has the antibodies to fight off the disease and stop it from killing the chicken. I do not know the effectiveness rate. No vaccine is 100% effective--that's why here in MA dogs vaccinated twice once year apart can then go 3 years before the next booster. AND the whooping cough vaccine is now failing; people need to be reboostered to fight this new and growing outbreak. NO one is talking about it; the avian flu scared the pants off everyone but how many have the whooping cough because a few people objected to getting vaccinated; now our whole population could be at risk. I say could because I have not heard one way or another from a reliable source. Perhaps a bird could infect another during this time of fighting off the disease, perhaps the transmissin rate is minimal, perhaps we need info from a higher power. LOL
Lots of good questions. In general, I really like the vaccination route; need a vet to find out rate of effectiveness and risk during disease exposure.
Hi Arielle. You're right. The vaccine protects from not getting the tumors. They can still get and carry the virus and spread it. They will only not get the tumors. I'm still trying to figure out how the eye cloudiness and paralysis fit into this-must be little tumors that attack some nerves? I don't know, but the vaccine seems to protect against that as well.
The vaccine is 90% effective-if all things are being perfect: The temp of shipping, correct mixing, correct injection, temp of vaccines, etc.
The hatcheries Do have a better vaccine than we can get. They combine vaccines to get broader coverage.
I always feel that the quarantine after the shot is the longer the better. I do 10-12 weeks. Some do more.
Also, I've heard that although vaccinated birds can still be carriers, they do spread less virulent dander.
If anyone is interested, I can quote out of my reference book that must have about 50 pages of Marek's info.