PARSIPPANY, N.J. (Dec. 11, 2024)—Zoetis Inc., the world’s leading animal health company, is reminding horse owners of the importance of vaccinating broodmares during pregnancy in accordance with the AAEP’s Guidelines. The AAEP recommends administration of core vaccines at four to six weeks prior to parturition to help protect the health of both the mare and her developing foal.

To ensure safety and instill confidence in practitioners and horse owners working to follow the AAEP’s guidelines, Zoetis conducted a study to evaluate the safety of its Core EQ Innovator vaccine when administered to pregnant broodmares in late gestation. The USDA-approved results showed that the vaccine is safe for administration in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Vaccines help broodmares support foals

According to the AAEP and equine reproduction experts, pregnant mares should be vaccinated against tetanus, Eastern and Western equine encephalomyelitis (EEE and WEE; also called sleeping sickness), influenza, rabies and West Nile virus four to six weeks prior to foaling.^1,2 This springtime vaccine series allows a mare to produce antibodies, which are sequestered by the mammary gland and passed to the fetus via the colostrum.² Providing core disease vaccines to broodmares in the last four to six weeks of pregnancy is a vital step to supporting not only their immune health but also the well-being of the foal in those first few months.

“According to the AAEP, it is important to vaccinate broodmares four to six weeks before foaling for their own protection, as well as to maximize concentrations of immunoglobulins in their colostrum to be passively transferred to their foals for protection against field infection for several months,” explains Dr. Nathan Voris, director of Equine Technical services at Zoetis U.S. “The foal must receive adequate amounts of high-quality colostrum during the first 24 hours of life for this protection to occur.”

Protection against five core diseases

Launched in 2018, Core EQ Innovator is the first and only single-dose vaccine that includes protection against all five core equine diseases: rabies, tetanus, West Nile virus, EEE and WEE. Notably, Core EQ Innovator is also the only commercially available rabies vaccine that’s approved as safe for use in broodmares during the last six weeks of pregnancy.

Core EQ Innovator is also the most used vaccine for protection against West Nile virus and was the vaccine of choice for 40% of horses vaccinated for rabies in 2023.³ Veterinarians using this vaccine can expect 99.7% reaction-free administration, according to two field safety studies.^4,5

“Only one in five horses is currently vaccinated against rabies.^3,6 Of all the core diseases, rabies is the most dangerous because it’s 100% fatal and can be transmitted from an infected animal to humans,” said Dr. Kevin Hankins, managing equine veterinarian at Zoetis.

Zoetis is known as an industry leader in developing products that align with the AAEP’s guidelines to promote equine health. The research, veterinary and product development teams are committed to doing what’s right for horses at all stages of life. To learn more about how Zoetis continues to innovate, support the industry and be by your side with mare and foal care solutions, visit ZoetisMareAndFoal.com. 

About Zoetis

As the world’s leading animal health company, Zoetis is driven by a singular purpose: to nurture our world and humankind by advancing care for animals. After innovating ways to predict, prevent, detect and treat animal illness for more than 70 years, Zoetis continues to stand by those raising and caring for animals worldwide—from veterinarians and pet owners to livestock farmers and ranchers. The company’s leading portfolio and pipeline of medicines, vaccines, diagnostics and technologies make a difference in over 100 countries. A Fortune 500 company, Zoetis generated revenue of $8.5 billion in 2023 with approximately 14,100 employees. For more information, visit Zoetis.com.

The Zoetis Equine division is committed to providing horse care you can count on. Our team includes numerous equine veterinarians and other experts who are inspired daily by the opportunity and profound responsibility to support horses, the owners who love them, and the equine veterinarians and other care team members who safeguard their well-being. Whether at the clinic or in the field, Zoetis is always by your side with a comprehensive, innovative portfolio of equine products and services at every step of a horse’s care and throughout the journey of a horse’s life. Visit ZoetisEquine.comto learn more. 

References

1. The American Association of Equine Practitioners. Vaccination Guidelines. Available at https://aaep.org/resource/adult-horse-vaccination-chart/. Accessed on July 12, 2024
2. Colorado State University Equine Reproduction Laboratory. Vaccination schedule for pregnant mares. https://vetmedbiosci.colostate.edu/erl/2023/10/02/vaccination-schedule-for-pregnant-mares/. Accessed July 15, 2024.
3. Animalytix. Data on file. Equine vaccine doses by antigen, 2023.
4. Zoetis Inc. Data on file. Study report no. B951R-US-16-106.
5. Data on file, Study Report No. B951R-US-14-056, Zoetis Inc. 
6. American Horse Council. 2023 economic impact study of the U.S. horse industry. 2024. https://members.horsecouncil.org/atlas/ecommerce/item/1.