Two separated experiments (Exp) were conducted to evaluate the shedding and efficacy of 2 modified live porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) type 2 vaccines (MLV) when administered intramuscularly (IM) or intradermally (ID) (Exp A), and the potential of PRRSV transmission using a needle-free device (Exp B). 154, castrated-male, pigs were procured from a PRRSV-free herd. In Exp A, 112 pigs were randomly allocated into 4 groups of 21 pigs including IM/Ingelvac MLV (G1), IM/Prime Pac (G2), ID/Prime Pac (G3), and non-vaccination (G4). G1 was IM vaccinated once with Ingelvac PRRS MLV (Ing) (Boehringer Ingelheim, Germany). G2 and G3 were IM and ID vaccinated once with Prime Pac PRRS (PP) (MSD Animal Health, The Netherlands), respectively. Following vaccination, an antibody response, IFN-γ-SC, and IL-10 were monitored. Sera, tonsils, nasal swabs, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), urines, and feces were collected from 3 vaccinated pigs each week to 42 days post-vaccination (DPV) and assayed for the presence of PRRSV using virus isolation and PCR. Age-matched sentinels were introduced weekly into vaccinated groups from 0 to 42 DPV and monitored for seroconversion. In Exp B, pigs were randomly allocated into 5 groups of 3 pigs each including IM/High (T1), ID/High (T2), IM/Low (T3), ID/Low (T4), and NoChal. The T1 and T2, and T3 and T4 groups were intranasally challenged with HP-PRRSV-2 at high (106) and low (103 TCID50/ml) doses, respectively. At 7 days post-challenge (DPC), T1 and T2, and T3 and T4 groups were IM and ID injected with Diluvac Forte using needles and a needless device (IDAL 3G, MSD Animal Health, The Netherlands), respectively. Same needles or devices were used to inject the same volume of Diluvac Forte into sentinel pigs. Seroconversion of sentinels was evaluated. The results demonstrated that PP vaccinated groups (G2 and G3), regardless of the route of vaccination, had ELISA response significantly lower than G1 at 7 and 14 DPV. PP-vaccinated groups (G2 and G3) had significantly higher IFN-γ-SC and lower IL-10 compared to the Ing-vaccinated group (G1). Based on IM, 2 different MLV had different virus distribution and shedding patterns. PP-vaccinated pigs had significantly shortened viremia than the Ing-vaccinated pigs. However, ID-vaccinated pigs had lower virus distribution in organs without virus shedding to sentinel pigs. In Exp B, ID-injected sentinel pigs had no seroconversion compared to IM-injected sentinel pigs regardless of the challenge dose. In conclusion, our results demonstrated that ID vaccination might represent an alternative to improve vaccine efficacy and safety, and may be able to reduce the shedding of vaccine viruses and reduce the iatrogenic transfer of pathogens between animals with shared needles.