MILTON KEYNES, UK, [20 May 2025] – MSD Animal Health (a division of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, N.J., USA (NYSE: MRK)) Farmers in England are being urged to use the latest Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF) grants to part-fund specialist vaccine fridges, after a study by MSD Animal Health found 84% of fridges to be storing vaccines outside of the correct temperature range- potentially compromising vaccine efficacy.
The FETF grant offers up to 50% funding towards the cost of a medical-grade fridge, potentially saving farmers hundreds of pounds while protecting animal health by ensuring vaccines are stored at the correct temperature.
Proper vaccine storage is critical to maintain vaccine efficacy and safeguard animal health. When vaccines are stored incorrectly, their effectiveness can be compromised, increasing the risk of the product not working.
A study by MSD Animal Health1, a leading biopharmaceutical and technology solutions provider, revealed significant issues with on-farm vaccine storage. On 19 farms surveyed across the South West of England, none of the fridges monitored consistently maintained the recommended temperature range of 2–8°C.
- 84% of the fridges recorded at least one reading above 8°C, with a maximum temperature of 24°C.
- 58% of fridges recorded temperatures at or below 0°C, with the lowest being -12°C.
- In many cases, temperatures were outside the safe range long enough to negatively impact vaccine efficacy.
Paul Williams, technical manager for ruminants at MSD Animal Health, said: “On-farm storage is the weakest link in the vaccine cold chain. Animal health vaccines are extremely fragile, and once damaged, the effect is irreversible – you can’t tell by looking at them if they’re still effective.
“If you’re storing vaccines on farm, you should be checking the maximum and minimum temperatures daily. If they’re outside the 2–8°C range, something needs to be done.”
He says the latest round of grant funding offers a timely opportunity for farmers to assess their current vaccine storage setup and, if necessary, invest in a dedicated vaccine fridge – part-funded through the FETF scheme.
Mr Williams also reminds producers:
- Avoid placing vaccines at the back of the fridge, where they may freeze, or in the door, where temperatures fluctuate each time it’s opened.
- A fridge’s age, location, and surrounding temperature can all affect its performance.
- Domestic fridges are designed for room-temperature environments and cannot warm contents, only cool them.
“In an ideal world, vaccines shouldn’t be stored on-farm at all – but if they are, they should be used as soon as possible and transported in a cool bag. Vaccinating a large number of animals takes time, so don’t take all the vaccine out of the fridge at once.”
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