Needle-stick injuries associated with product use are adverse events, even if you don’t think a reaction to the product has occurred. They must be reported here – this vital information helps us give best practice advice in these situations.

The injury should be washed thoroughly and kept clean and dry to minimise the risks of infection. Medical advice should be sought, taking the product leaflet.

Potential concerns are:

1. Injury from the needle itself
2. Effects of the injected product
   1. Active ingredients - in most cases the antigens are non-pathogenic to humans but in all cases  of self injection the datasheet should be consulted for specific advice.
   2. Excipients or adjuvants - please note that Nobivac^®-branded vaccines DO NOT use mineral oil as an adjuvant so the chance of a serious adverse event is minimal. However, Rotavec^® Corona, Footvax^® and some Nobilis^® vaccines DO contain mineral oil and self-injection can result in pain, swelling and serious injury without prompt medical attention (taking the packaging leaflet with you). For Enzovax^®, Toxovax^® and Ringvac^® please refer to the datasheet.
3. Introduction of infection
   1. Skin contamination
   2. Vaccine components – with the exception of live bacterial vaccines such as Nobivac KC and Bb which contain Bordetella bronchiseptica, vaccines are sterile and should not cause infection.
   3. In the case of vaccines provided as multidose vials, it is essential to observe appropriate storage, hygiene and handling requirements during repeated use. Unused product must be disposed of appropriately once the broached vial stability period is reached.

Incorrect administration must always be reported here, even if you don’t think a reaction has occurred. This includes giving a product to a species, or using a route or dose different from the datasheet and using out of date products. The information is used to keep our advice up to date.

For guidance on types of adverse signs for a specific vaccine, please refer to the datasheet or Summary of Product Characteristics.

Accidental injection of Nobivac KC:

These vaccines contain live bacteria and are likely to cause an infection if given subcutaneously rather than the licensed intranasal route. Prompt treatment with a minimum 5-day course of an appropriate antibiotic is likely to prevent any serious consequences, but progress should be monitored. Please note that B.bronchiseptica is naturally resistant to cephalosporins.

An overdose must be reported here, even if you don’t think a reaction has occurred. These reports help us to give the best possible advice and monitor product performance.

The Bravecto product range has a wide dose margin of safety and the active constituent - fluralaner - is minimally metabolised with no known interactions with other classes of pharmaceuticals. Safety studies have been conducted in both dogs and cats.

The Bravecto Chewable Tablet product EPAR states;

Five TAS (Target Animal Safety) studies were conducted, of which two were reproductive safety studies. Fluralaner appears to be well tolerated when administered to Beagle puppies at up to 5X the maximum exposure dose on three occasions. At the recommended dose, Bravecto was in general well tolerated with common mild transient gastrointestinal events (diarrhoea, vomiting, inappetence and drooling). An appropriate warning has been included in the SPC (section 4.6).

For the Dog and Cat Bravecto Spot-on product at up to 5x maximum dose…

….fluralaner administered as a spot-on solution did not produce significant dose-related deviations in haematology, urinalysis and clinical chemistry (in comparison with control groups, with baseline levels or reference ranges derived from literature) and the incidental significant differences between treatment and control groups were considered not clinically relevant.¹

Temporary hypersalivation and coughing may be seen following inappropriate oral ingestion of the spot-on in both dogs and cats, likely caused by the volatile excipients of the spot-on solution.

Use during pregnancy or lactation
The safety of the veterinary medicinal product has not been established in pregnant or lactating animals and therefore use in such animals is not recommended.

Further safety information is available from the datasheets.

Human administration must be reported here as an adverse event, even if no reaction seems to have occurred. The data is used to monitor product safety in the field, and enables us to give advice.

Bravecto Spot-on and Bravecto Plus are convenient long-acting products. The active ingredients are absorbed across the skin and are formulated to help the product adhere to the skin, minimise run off and ensure good absorption. To prevent accidental administration, the pipette has been designed to minimise spillage and the application instructions should be followed closely. Gloves should be worn.

If the product is accidentally applied, wash the area thoroughly with soap and water although in some cases not all the product will be removed. If skin reactions occur, consult a physician and show them the product packaging. Please refer to the datasheet advice.