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Table 2 Simplified advantages and disadvantages of traditionally used, widely available viral attenuated-live and inactivated vaccine types in pigs

From: Future perspectives on swine viral vaccines: where are we headed?

 

Attenuated-live

Inactivated

Administration routes

(IM), oral, intranasal, intradermal

IM, intradermal

Adjuvant

None

Required

Number of doses

One dose

Often two doses

Humoral immunity

IgG

IgG

Secretory immunity

IgA

–

Cellular immunity

Yes

–

Long-term immunity

Yes

–

Reversion to virulence or recombination

Yes

Not possible

Storage

Heat-labilea

Stableb

Transmission among pigs

Yes

No

Production cost

Low (involves only culture, bottling and lyophilization or freezing)

High (requires a high antigen content, addition of adjuvant and other excipients)

Time until a vaccine is available

Months to years

Months

  1. aNeeds to be stored at −80 °C or lyophilized. Cannot be stored once opened
  2. bStorage at room temperature or at + 4 °C (never frozen) for longer periods; can be used for some time after opening a bottle. Phase separation of the aqueous and oil phases in the vaccine formulation may be observed in some vaccines, which can be corrected by vigorous shaking of the vaccine container