Mareks vaccination.....

[Ol Grey Mare]

Is there a non-leaky vaccine for mareks?

I ask as I recently became aware a local retailer sells chicks that are vaccinated. I asked how long they had been doing so and mentioned leakage as a specific concern in not making it clear to everyone that they chicks were vaccinated. The retailers response was

We started with vaccinated last year. This vaccine does not spread the disease and does not pose any risk to non vaccinated birds.

 

[Pyxis]

There isn't a non-leaky vaccine.

The reason it's leaky is that it's made with a turkey virus that is not Marek's, but is similar enough that it usually gives immunity to the symptoms of the disease. Since they aren't vaccinated against the actual disease, however, they can still get Marek's and still shed it, they just won't have symptoms themselves or may only have mild symptoms and then recover.

The manufacturer is right in that the vaccine itself doesn't spread the disease or make birds sick. It just means that vaccinated birds that come into contact with Marek's on their own can contract it and not show symptoms, so you wouldn't know they were infected.