Development of fish vaccines: Focusing on methods

Abstract

Sustainable aquaculture is not possible without disease prevention, and vaccination has become the single most important tool. There has been a dramatic reduction in the use of antibiotics in Norwegian salmon farming since the introduction of oil-based vaccines. Today, it is an industry standard in all salmon-producing countries, and we are seeing a similar approach being adopted in other countries producing high-value fish species, e.g. Japan. Fish can be vaccinated by immersion and via the oral route; however, the protection falls short using these methods compared to injection vaccination. Interesting new technologies have emerged over the last 5 years, particularly injection of a single dose of naked DNA into the fish muscle. New technologies are promising, but it is more likely that there will be improvements of existing vaccines than completely new technologies taking over the fish vaccination scene in the next 5–10 years.