Physiological mechanisms for impaired growth in vaccinated fish

Research has shown that vaccination can impair appetite and growth in fish. The growth impairments can cause financial losses for the farmer that are comparable to the losses caused by disease itself. The impaired growth further implies that valuable fish feed is wasted, which can contribute to local nutrient discharge.

My research aims to contribute to improved vaccination strategies by identifying physiological consequences of vaccination that could explain the negative effect on growth. Key to understanding this is to identify the critical factors affecting the outcome of vaccination, including size, sex and environmental factors like temperature and salinity.