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With advancements in immunology, molecular biology and microbiology, vaccine technology has been under continuous development. Minimizing reactions is the main goal. Many factors contribute to the onset of side effects, dose-volume being one of the most important.
Vaccination history over the last 35 years In the late ‘80s, fish were injected with relatively high vaccine doses such as 0.2 milliliters, which in some cases is still prevailing, and sometimes resulting in serious adverse reactions in the abdominal cavity. A vaccine with half that volume was launched on the Norwegian market in the mid-’90s, bringing the advantage of reducing side effects, without downgrading efficacy. In 2003, a 0.1 mL-dose, multivalent vaccine, protecting fish against various pathogens, was introduced. Five years later, the very first 0.05 mL vaccine, containing the same antigens was released. Yet, the reduction in the size of vaccine doses, of utmost importance, went nearly unnoticed by the ichthyology community. Present scientists are not the first to be aware that dosis sola facit venenum1. Thanks to the increase in vaccine potency, developers have been able to reduce the required doses, starting the successful story of efficacious micro-doses, including multivalent ones. The adoption of the novelty was not fast in the beginning. Skepticism and concern slowed down the process. Veterinary professionals and fish farmers had doubts about the long-term protection, while pharma companies were concerned about the quality of the existing syringes for microinjections and the reproducibility of results.
Socorex syringe ultra 1810 with shotcounter and FishGuide.
Hatchery Feed & Management Vol 10 Issue 2 2022
Bringing medical-grade precision to the aquaculture vaccination sector One of the key companies that have helped introduce the administration of micro-dose vaccines is the Swiss firm Socorex, a true pioneer in this field. While the company initially focused on glass and metal syringes for human applications, it branched out into developing automatic syringes for the animal health sector in the 1980s. Terrestrial livestock has been their first focus, galvanized by the industry’s desire for smaller and more precise doses, Socorex has moved into the fish farming sector later on. Their dedication to accuracy and quality has been an all-time tradition, precision liquid dosing having been their strength for nearly 60 years. Having successfully designed a syringe for delivering vaccines to day-old chicks, which are typically around 40 grams, Socorex realized they could transfer the technology to aquaculture, fish being generally vaccinated between 15 and 80 grams of weight. Socorex could benefit from their decade-long experience in the lab and biotech fields to develop the new 1810 ultra model – a true metrological system – allowing operators to deliver doses as low as 0.02 mL, if needed, without compromising reliability and efficiency. The medical-grade precision this model brings to the aquaculture sector – the syringes have a 99 to 99.5 percent precision rate, an exceptional performance
