Nobilis IB Ma5 Lyophilisate for Oculonasal Suspension / Use in Drinking Water for Chickens
Active ingredient: Infectious bronchitis virus
Form
Lyophilisate
Species
Manufacturer
Intervet International B.V.
VMD MA No.
06376/4139
What it's used for
The vaccine can be used for primary as well as secondary vaccination. Onset of immunity: at latest 3 weeks (based upon vaccination-challenge interval teste...
Full indications, dosage and side effects ↓The prescription itself has a price. See what practices near you charge for a consultation and the written prescription fee.
Paying less for Infectious bronchitis virus
-
1
Ask your vet for a written prescription
They must provide one on request. Under the CMA Order the fee is capped at £21 from 2027.
-
2
Fill it at a registered online retailer
The CMA found online pharmacies 50–60% cheaper than practice dispensing on common medicines — typically £200–£300 a year.
Done — we'll email you when prices land.
Prescription required
Your vet must provide a written prescription on request. You can then purchase from any licensed online retailer.
Nobilis IB Ma5 Lyophilisate for Oculonasal Suspension / Use in Drinking Water for Chickens — SPC Details
Source: VMD Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC). Last updated 27 Mar 2026.
Onset of immunity: at latest 3 weeks (based upon vaccination-challenge interval
tested; this period may be shorter, but this has not been investigated).
Duration of immunity: at least 6 weeks.
- drinking water application
- intranasal/intraocular application
Vaccination programme
The optimal time and method of administration depend largely upon the local
situation.
The vaccine is safe to use from 1 day of age onwards.
Guideline
The vaccine can be administered to 1-day old chicks and older chickens by coarse
spray or by the intranasal/ocular route of administration. The vaccine can be
administered to 7-day and older chicks by drinking water. If prolonged immunity is
required, e.g. the chickens can be revaccinated every 6 weeks.
The vaccine may be delivered as a freeze-dried cake in a glass vial or as freeze-
dried spheres in cups.
In case of the latter presentation the cups may contain 3 up to 100 spheres
depending on the required dosages and production yields.
In case of the product presented in cups, do not use the product if the contents are
brownish and stick to the container as this indicates that the integrity of the container
has been breached. Each container should be used immediately and completely after
opening.
Drinking water:
When administering the vaccine by drinking water use cool, clean water
supplemented with 2 grams of skimmed milk powder or 50 ml of liquid skimmed milk
per litre to dissolve the vaccine, as it is known that this will make the virus retain its
activity.
Reconstitution of vaccine:
The vials should be opened under water or the content of the cup(s) should be
poured into the water. In both cases mix the water containing the vaccine well before
use. The vaccine is presented in vials under vacuum. Measure the correct volume of
water for the number of birds to be vaccinated (see below) and open the correct
number of vials of vaccine under the surface of the water. All containers used should
be clean and free from any traces of detergent or disinfectant. Mix thoroughly with a
clean stirrer, ensuring that all vials used are emptied. Offer to birds immediately.
Use clean cold water, in which chlorine or metals can neither be tasted nor smelled.
Where water sanitisers are used consult the marketing authorisation holders
technical staff. Chlorine at levels as low as 1 ppm is known to have a detrimental
effect on vaccine virus stability, therefore the use of liquid skimmed milk is
recommended to prolong the life of the virus. This may be added to the water at the
rate of 500 ml (approximately 1 pint) per 10 litres of water. After mixing well, the
solution should be allowed to stand for 15-30 minutes before adding the vaccine.
Only skimmed milk should be used, as the fat in whole milk may block the automatic
drinking systems as well as reduce vaccine virus efficacy.
After reconstitution the suspension looks clear.
Volumes of water for reconstitution of vaccine:
The volume of water for reconstitution depends on the age of the birds and the
management practice.
Simple drinking troughs and fountains:
The following are guidelines:
1 000 doses per litre per age in days up to a volume of 20 litres per 1 000 doses.
For heavy breeds, or in hot weather, the quantity of water may be increased up to 30
litres per 1 000 doses. Where the number of birds is between the standard dosages,
the next higher dosage should be used.
Nipple drinkers:
Drinker line management is known to have a significant effect on the viability of live
vaccine virus. The vaccine virus can deteriorate very rapidly and it is essential to
ensure that all birds received the correct dose. Special care should be observed
concerning the method of administration. For example, small header tanks may
require recharging with medicated water several times during a 1 - 2 hour period.
Administration
Water should be withheld before vaccination. For recommendations see below
under “Management”. Ensure that all medicated water is consumed within 1 - 2
hours. Turn on mains water when all the vaccine water has been consumed. Always
make sure that there is food available when vaccinating. Birds will not drink if they
have no food to eat.
Management
Great care should be taken to ensure that all birds receive a full dose of vaccine
when the product is administered. The following points have been found to improve
vaccine "take":
1 Water withholding should be kept to a minimum. Approximately half an hour is
all that is required if the following management techniques are used.
2 Try to vaccinate at a time when birds are likely to be drinking, e.g. when food is
in the food tracks.
3 Turn the lights down low when the water is turned off. For bell drinkers, go
round the house emptying and cleaning the drinkers during the half-hour lights low
period. Mix up the vaccine according to the recommendations, and towards the end
of the half-hour water withholding period, go round all the drinkers filling each with
water containing vaccine. Leave the house and turn the light up. The increased light
intensity will stimulate the birds to look for water and food. Therefore, it is important
that food is available or the birds will not be interested in drinking. In some cases, it
helps to run food tracks at the time the light intensity is increased.
For nipple lines a substantial volume of residual water may remain in the lines after
the half-hour water withholding/dark period. It is advisable to drain the lines and
prime with vaccine loaded water before allowing the birds to have access to the
drinker lines. Mix up the vaccine and apply to the header tank(s). Calculate the
volume of water that is left in the tank below the outlet valve and make sure you add
extra vaccine to this volume of water. For example, if 10 litres remain below the
outlet pipe and you are using 10 litres/1 000 birds to vaccinate, add one extra vial of
vaccine when mixing up vaccine for that tank. The use of this extra vaccine is
important.
4 Once the vaccine has been consumed, resume management practices as
normal. This approach to vaccination will ensure a more even vaccination and will be
less stressful to the birds. Performance should therefore be less adversely affected.
Spray vaccination of day old chicks
This technique has been developed for use in day-old birds and is normally required
for emergency use only. Only spray apparatus approved by the marketing
authorisation holder should be used and it is advisable to consult the technical staff
of the distributors before using this technique.
Oculo-nasal administration:
Reconstitute the vaccine with the appropriate amount of a suitable diluent and
administer by means of the standardised dropper. One drop should be applied into
one nostril or one eye. Ensure that the nasal drop is inhaled before freeing the bird.
For eye- or nose-drop administration the solvent Nobilis Diluent Oculo Nasal, is
available in a dropper in two dosage forms (1 000 and 2 500 doses).
Guideline when the product is used with Nobilis IB 4-91 or Nobilis IB Primo QX:
The instructions on reconstitution of both lyophilisates and the subsequent
application are to be followed as outlined above for spray and intranasal/ocular
administration. The same volumes as for the single product should be used.
For the intranasal/ocular mixed use with Nobilis IB Primo QX, the Solvent
Oculo/Nasal (1 000 doses only) should be used. Read the product information of
Nobilis IB Primo QX before use.
In-use shelf life after mixing: 2 hours.
Very rare
(<1 animal / 10,000 animals
treated, including isolated reports):
Respiratory signs
.
Mild, transient, lasting a few days, depending on the health and condition of the
birds.
Reporting adverse events is important. It allows continuous safety monitoring of a
veterinary medicinal product. Reports should be sent, preferably via a veterinarian, to
either the marketing authorisation holder or its local representative or the national
competent authority via the national reporting system. See the package leaflet for
respective contact details.
The vaccine virus may spread to unvaccinated birds.
Special precautions for safe use in the target species:
The duration and intensity of the vaccination reaction and the establishment of a solid
immunity are dependent on the possible presence of maternal antibodies and on the
general health and condition of the birds. Hygiene and management play an
essential part in the post-vaccination period.
Sick or weak birds will not develop adequate immunity following vaccination.
Antibiotic medication: When stock is known to be infected with mycoplasma or there
is a history of other infections, e.g. E. coli, it is suggested that antibiotics are
administered to reduce the level of infection. The antibiotic manufacturers'
recommendations should be followed at all times.
A good immune response is reliant on the reaction of an immunogenic agent and a
fully competent immune system. Immunogenicity of the vaccine antigen will be
reduced by poor storage or inappropriate administration. Immunocompetence of the
animal may be compromised by a variety of factors including poor health, nutritional
status, genetic factors, concurrent drug therapy and stress. Under certain conditions,
for example extreme disease pressure, fully immune birds may succumb to disease.
Therefore, successful vaccination may not be synonymous with full protection in the
face of a disease challenge.
Special precautions to be taken by the person administering the veterinary medicinal
product to animals:
Wash and disinfect hands after use.
When spraying the vaccine, to avoid hay-fever like reactions in some individuals,
personal protective equipment consisting of well-fitting masks to appropriate EU
standards or better and eye protection to appropriate EU standards must be worn by
the operator and staff.
Special precautions for the protection of the environment:
Not applicable.
administered to day-old chicks that are vaccinated either by the subcutaneous or
ovo route with Innovax-ND-ILT.
Safety and efficacy data are available which demonstrate that this vaccine can be
mixed and administered with Nobilis IB 4-91 or Nobilis IB Primo QX for spray or
intranasal/ocular administration to commercial chicks from one day of age onwards.
For the mixed products the onset of immunity is 3 weeks.
For the mixed use with Nobilis IB 4-91 the duration of immunity is 6 weeks for the
claimed protection against Massachusetts and variant strain 4-91 of IBV. For the
mixed use with Nobilis IB Primo QX the duration of immunity is 8 weeks for the
claimed protection against Massachusetts and QX-like strains of IBV.
The safety parameters of the mixed vaccines are not different from those described
for the vaccines administered separately. Simultaneous use of two vaccines
increases the risk of recombination of viruses and potential emergence of new
variants. However, the chance of a hazard occurring has been estimated very low
and is minimized by routinely vaccinating all chickens on the
time and cleaning and disinfection after each production round.
Safety and efficacy data are available which demonstrate that Nobilis IB Ma5 (or
Nobilis IB Ma5 mixed with Nobilis IB 4-91) can be administered, but not mixed, to
day-old chicks that are vaccinated either by the subcutaneous route or to day-old
chicks that have been vaccinated by the in ovo route with Innovax-ND-IBD.
For the non-mixed associated use of Innovax-ND-IBD with Nobilis IB Ma5 mixed with
Nobilis IB 4-91, the duration of immunity is 6 weeks for the claimed protection against
Massachusetts serotypes and variant strain 4-91 of IBV.
Read the product information of Nobilis IB 4-91, Nobilis IB Primo QX, Innovax-ND-
IBD or Innovax-ND-ILT before use.
Safety and efficacy data are available which demonstrate that this vaccine can be
administered on the same day but not mixed with the live Newcastle disease (strain
Clone 30 and C2) vaccines and live rhinotracheitis (strain 11/94) vaccines by the
marketing authorisation holder.
Safety and efficacy data are available which demonstrate that Infectious bursal
disease vaccine (strain D78) can be administered 7 days after the administration of
Nobilis IB Ma5.
If this is not possible, vaccines which target non respiratory diseases such as Marek’s
disease vaccines may be administered with Nobilis IB Ma5 provided that each of the
vaccines is administered using the recommended route and the recommended
doses.
No information is available on the safety and efficacy of Nobilis IB Ma5 when used
with any other veterinary medicinal product except the products mentioned above. A
decision to use this vaccine before or after any other veterinary medicinal product
therefore needs to be made on a case by case basis.
Do not freeze.
Protect from light.
This information is sourced from the official Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) published by the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD). It is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace professional veterinary advice. Always consult your vet before administering any medication.
Medication costs adding up?
Pet insurance can cover prescription medications. Find the right policy for your pet.
Other Products Containing Infectious bronchitis virus
These products share the same active ingredient and may be suitable alternatives. Always consult your vet.
Avishield IB GI-13, Lyophilisate for Oculonasal Suspension/Use in Drinking Water for Chickens
POM-VIZO S.r.l a socio unico
Avishield IB GI-13, Lyophilisate for Oculonasal Suspension/Use in Drinking Water for Chickens
POM-VIZO S.r.l a socio unico
Avishield IB H120, Lyophilisate for Oculonasal Suspension/Use in Drinking Water for Chickens
POM-VIZO S.r.l a socio unico
Avishield IB H120, Lyophilisate for Oculonasal Suspension/Use in Drinking Water for Chickens
POM-VIZO S.r.l a socio unico
CEVAC IBird Lyophilisate for Oculonasal Suspension/Use in Drinking Water for Chickens
POM-VCeva Sante Animale
CEVAC IBird Lyophilisate for Oculonasal Suspension/Use in Drinking Water for Chickens
POM-VCeva Sante Animale
Alternative options to consider
Retailers we earn a commission from. It costs you nothing and never changes what we show.
The Pharm Pet Co. — Pet Pharmacy
UK online pet pharmacy. Flea, worm, prescription medications, supplements and pet food. Save vs vet prices.
Pet Care at Pharmacy2U
The UK's largest online pharmacy. Pet wormers, flea treatments, dental and joint care. Free delivery on orders over £30.
KatKin Fresh Cat Food
The UK's top-rated cat food. 100% fresh, human-quality meat, gently cooked and delivered frozen. Vet-formulated for every life stage.
We may earn a small commission if you purchase through these links, at no extra cost to you.
Related Medications
Aftopur AlSap
POM-VFoot-and-mouth disease virus
Aftopur AlSap
POM-VFoot-and-mouth disease virus
Aftopur DOE
POM-VFoot-and-mouth disease virus
Aftopur DOE
POM-VFoot-and-mouth disease virus
Alpha Ject Micro 1 PD Emulsion for Injection for Atlantic Salmon
POM-VSalmon pancreas disease virus
Alpha Ject Micro 1 PD Emulsion for Injection for Atlantic Salmon
POM-VSalmon pancreas disease virus
Find cheaper vets near you
Compare vet consultation prices in your area. Save on procedures and get a prescription to buy medications online.