Mucosal vaccination is emerging as a paradigm shift in veterinary medicine that gives a non-traumatic and efficient way to immunize animals against different infections. Unlike traditional injectable vaccines, mucosal vaccines focus on the mucosal surfaces, which are the preferred entry points for several pathogens. This chapter explains how mucosal immunity works and highlights some ways mucosal vaccination can be done, such as orally, nasally, and sublingually administered routes. All these routes have benefits, such as easy administration, a high chance of compliance, and strong immune responses without injection-related anxieties. The chapter also discusses the contemporary uses of mucosal vaccines in veterinary medicine, emphasizing their successful application in poultry, cattle, and pigs (livestock) and companion animals such as dogs and cats. Mucosal vaccines have several limitations, however, including the need to maintain formulation stability, develop effective delivery systems, and manage immune response variations across various animal species. Furthermore, utmost care is needed to ensure safety, and the possibility of side effects needs to be ensured. Such innovative technologies in vaccine production, such as nanotechnology-based delivery systems, genetic/recombinant vaccines, and new adjuvants, have improved mucosal vaccine efficacy and their range. To address emerging infectious diseases and improve animal health, researchers continue to generate new knowledge through ongoing studies and clinical trials. In conclusion, vaccination via the mucosal route represents an important breakthrough in veterinary medicine that could revolutionize animal healthcare with less invasive and highly effective immunization strategies. There is a chance for future advances in this area where integrated vaccination programs or individualized animal healthcare systems would lead to better global welfare of animals.
Keywords: Animal, Biotechnology, Clinical trial, Gut-associated lymphoid tissue, Genetic, Health, Immunity, Livestock, Personalized medicine, Mucosal vaccine, Nasopharynx-associated lymphoid tissue, Oral vaccine, Recombinant, Technology, Veterinary medicine.
