You can order vaccine directly from the Tick Fever Centre by phone, or using the online order form (see below)  or through your local veterinarian or rural agency. Do not send orders by email.

Check shipping and delivery times below to make sure you place your order before the relevant dispatch cut-off.

Vaccine prices

On 1 July 2025 most of our fees and charges increased by 3.4%, in line with the government's indexation policy.

Chilled vaccine costs $6.15 (incl. GST) per dose and is available in packs of 10, 20, 25, 50 and 100.

The following fees also apply:

• processing fee—$40.73 (incl. GST) for orders less than 100 doses
• freight—charged at time of invoicing and based on courier service charges.

Ordering

Chilled vaccine is only produced on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Orders are not accepted on the day of dispatch but must be in by 4pm the day prior to production/dispatch:

• order before 4pm on Monday for vaccine to be dispatched on Tuesday
• order before 4pm on Wednesday for vaccine to be dispatched on Thursday.

Ordering by phone

Phone the Tick Fever Centre on (07) 3270 9600 or our Customer Service Centre on 13 25 23.

• Existing clients – make sure you have your customer code ready. We will place and confirm your order.
• New clients – to set up a new account, you must provide your ABN or driver licence details.

Ordering online

Do not send orders by email. Use the online ordering form. You have to be an existing client and know your customer code. Nominate a drop-off point in a town near you.

Note: Couriers will not drop to the post office or deliver orders to properties outside the town limits.

We'll confirm your order by email, by close of business (4pm Queensland time). Without confirmation your order has not been placed. Check that your order has been placed correctly.

If you haven't ordered from us before, or are not sure where to have the vaccine delivered to, phone the Tick Fever Centre (07) 3270 9600 or our Customer Service Centre on 13 25 23, and place your order over the phone.

Shipping and delivery

Delivery in Australia

We organise delivery of all vaccine by courier of our choice to your nominated town.

Chilled vaccine is packed in a polystyrene esky with frozen chiller packs to keep the vaccine cool. Delivery to most destinations is generally by the end of the next day. Chilled vaccine is only dispatched on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Payment

You will be emailed or mailed an invoice 2–3 days after your vaccine is dispatched.

Where an email is provided on the account, this will be the default method. If you don't want to receive your invoice via email you will need to notify the centre.

Payment is due within 30 days of the invoice date. Your invoice will include payment instructions. We accept cheque, money order, direct deposit or credit card. We do not accept online credit card payments.

Shelf life and storage

Chilled vaccine is supplied ready to use. It is stored and transported at 2–8°C (do not freeze) and must be used within 4 days of manufacture.

Dosage and administration

Using a vaccinator gun, inject a single 2mL dose either subcutaneously (under the skin) or intramuscularly (into the muscle).

Find out how to calibrate a vaccinator gun (PDF, 151KB).

Withholding period and export slaughter interval (ESI)

Nil.

Animals' response to vaccination

Animals undergo mild reactions as the immune system is stimulated to produce long-term (usually lifelong) protection against the disease.

Development of immunity

• 3–4 weeks after vaccination for both species of Babesia
• 8 weeks after vaccination for Anaplasma

Recommendations for use

Cattle of any age can be vaccinated, but it is best to vaccinate animals at 3–9 months of age when there is little risk of reactions to the vaccine.

The risk of reactions is greater when vaccinating adult cattle (especially bulls and pregnant cows) and they should be closely observed during reaction periods.

Directions for use

An instruction leaflet is provided with each order of chilled vaccine.

First aid and safety directions

The strains of tick fever used in Australian tick fever vaccines are not known to infect humans.

However, you should seek medical advice following accidental self-injection because there is risk of an inflammatory response.

The following people are at an increased risk of an inflammatory response:

• the elderly
• people with weakened immune systems (e.g. due to diseases such as leukaemia or lymphoma, or through drugs and radiation, or HIV or AIDS sufferers)
• people whose spleen has been removed.

Safety data sheets (SDS)

The Trivalent (chilled) tick fever vaccine technical specifications contain detailed technical descriptions of the vaccines, production methods and quality control testing procedures.

Following a single vaccination, immunity to tick fever takes a number of weeks to develop, but the immunity is usually lifelong.

Cattle can be at risk of developing tick fever if exposed to ticks before the vaccine immunity has taken effect. This is only of concern in animals older than 9 months of age.

The most common type of tick fever, Babesia bovis, is transmitted 1–3 days after the attachment of the larval (seed) tick. Pour-on and injectable tick control chemicals do not kill seed ticks soon enough to prevent the transmission of Babesia bovis. Commonly used dip chemicals have short residual activity.

Protecting cattle while immunity develops

You can minimise the risk of tick fever in introduced cattle by vaccinating at least 60 days before cattle enter tick-infested areas. This allows time for immunity to develop for all 3 tick fever organisms. If a 60-day delay in moving cattle is not possible, then:

• delay movement for 3–4 weeks after vaccination to allow immunity to both species of Babesia to develop
• isolate introduced animals from other local cattle for 60 days after vaccination to help prevent transmission of anaplasmosis
• keep animals tick-free before and for 28 days after vaccination when vaccinating animals that have been introduced into a tick-infested area. This is very difficult to achieve, so you must monitor the cattle carefully during the period when immunity is developing.

Moving cattle before immunity has developed

If it is not possible for you to delay the movement of cattle, move them before day 7 or from 21 to 30 days after vaccination.

These 'windows' prevent animals being transported and stressed during reaction periods, but the risk of disease from field infection still exists until immunity develops.

Also consider...

• Learn more about managing tick fever in cattle.

After vaccination, the organisms in the vaccine multiply and mimic the progress of naturally acquired disease. However, the organisms in the vaccine are much less virulent than organisms acquired in the field from ticks.

Calves vaccinated at 3–9 months of age rarely show visible reactions. Older cattle rarely show visible reactions after vaccination, but, in severe cases, animals may have a persistent fever or anaemia. Bulls or pregnant cattle may be most at risk.

Severe reactions are rare, but can potentially result in loss of condition, abortion, temporary reduction in bull fertility, and, on rare occasions, death. You can manage reactions by monitoring the animals and treating if required.

Note: The consequences of an outbreak caused by a virulent tick-borne infection far outweigh the risks associated with vaccine reactions. Vaccine reactions are also easier to manage than a disease outbreak because of the predictable reaction periods.

Vaccine reaction periods

• Babesia: 7–21 days after vaccination
• Anaplasma: 30–60 days after vaccination

Signs of vaccine reaction

Babesia

• Fever
• General signs of ill health – lethargy, weakness, reduced appetite
• Red urine – also known as 'red water'
• Anaemia – pale mucous membranes in mouth, eyes and vagina, as a result of loss of red blood cells

Anaplasma

• Anaemia
• Weight loss

Monitoring reactions to tick fever vaccines

Individual animals

Reactions can be detected sooner by monitoring cattle for the development of fever rather than the clinical signs associated with Babesia spp. in the vaccine.

You can do this by measuring early morning rectal temperatures in the period 10 to 21 days after vaccination. This is particularly important in bulls or heavily pregnant cows. Treat promptly if fever exceeds 40.5°C or if you see other signs of severe reactions.

Fever is not a useful indicator for Anaplasma reactions. Daily visual monitoring for clinical signs from 30 days after vaccination will be adequate.

Paddock monitoring

With larger herds of cattle, observe the animals daily during reaction periods. Be sure to move them around to better detect stragglers and check for clinical signs. If any signs are detected, move them to yards to take rectal temperatures, collect appropriate samples and treat as necessary.

Sampling animals to confirm vaccine reactions

Samples taken from animals with suspected vaccine reactions can help confirm or rule out whether a vaccine reaction was the cause of the illness. Discuss sample requirements with your local veterinarian, Biosecurity Veterinary Officer or Tick Fever Centre staff.

Treating reactions to tick fever vaccines

Babesia reactions

Imidocarb (Imidox®) is the only available drug that treats reactions to both species of Babesia. Read the manufacturer's instructions before using this drug.

Inject 1mL per 100kg live weight under the skin, preferably in the neck. It may cause some tissue damage, so, if the dose exceeds 5mL, split the dose over 2 injection sites.

Treatment may eliminate vaccine organisms before durable immunity develops, so you should revaccinate cattle 8 weeks after treatment.

The withholding period for imidocarb is 28 days for meat. Restrictions apply to the treatment of lactating dairy cattle, but a permit has been issued for a 14-day withholding period for milk.

Anaplasma reactions

You can treat Anaplasma reactions using oxytetracycline or imidocarb. Read the manufacturers' instructions before using these drugs.

Option 1

Inject imidocarb at 2.5mL per 100kg live weight under the skin. This dose rate cannot be used in lactating dairy cows.

Option 2

Administer oxytetracycline treatment as per the veterinarian's recommendations.

Oxytetracycline is the preferred treatment because the use of imidocarb could impair the immunity provided by the Babesia components in the vaccine. Restrictions apply to the supply of this drug, so talk to your local veterinarian.

Also consider...

• Learn more about managing tick fever in cattle.