The responsible use of antibiotics is just one tool used on farms to keep animals healthy. Good stewardship also involves proper nutrition, good ventilation, biosecurity, appropriate housing and other measures designed to protect animal health and ensure food produced from animals is safe. Although vaccines are not available for every disease, when they are, they help protect an animal’s health, too.
As a mother of three children, it is vitally important to me to ensure that antibiotics are effective when one of my kids is sick. As a veterinarian, I also took an oath to protect animal health, prevent animal suffering and to promote human health. From this vantage point, I see all sides of the antibiotics discussion.