Dr. Pippin's Vaccination Post

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Cross posted with permission by Dr. Pippin. Margaret ********************************** I’ve been researching the contentious issue of annual

vaccinations for pets. I think it’s fair to say that the state-of-the-art opinion is that immunity lasts much longer than one year for most or all of the vaccines, and that vaccination schedules can safely be individualized on a three-year or longer schedule. The most prevalent recommendation from reputable sources is to establish a core set of vaccines against common or potentially lethal diseases, to be administered every 3 years (not annually). Other vaccines are considered less critical and sometimes optional. Some other key areas of general agreement are: (1) current expensive antibody titers sometimes recommended to determine protection levels are not accurate enough alone to drive vaccination decisions (and they may not indicate protection at all,

because animals can have low antibody titers and still have ironclad cellular immunity); (2) some vaccinations are unnecessary in geographic areas where the specific diseases are uncommon; (3) older or indoor animals need fewer (and sometimes no) vaccinations; (4) some animals should not receive any vaccinations – for example those with damaged immune systems, severe allergies, cancer or other chronic diseases; (5) there is reasonable evidence that over-vaccination has potential risks for serious adverse effects. As with everything in life, there are some provisos: First, switching to an extended vaccination schedule does not diminish the need for annual veterinary exams for our pets. Some vets have resisted extending vaccination schedules for this reason alone, and it’s understandable. It hardly makes sense to protect your pet from over-vaccination while letting other serious problems go undetected or untreated. Second, puppies and kittens have different vaccination needs from adults for protection and establishment of adequate antibody responses – so they need puppy or kitten shots plus boosters usually until one

year old. Third, neutering your pets has no influence on vaccination needs. Neuter your pets, for crying out loud! Fourth, there are laws about animal vaccinations. As far as I can determine, the only vaccine required in Texas for cats and dogs is either an annual or three-year rabies vaccine. So if your vet refuses to offer a three-year rabies vaccine or extend/modify the traditional annual vaccination schedule, and you want to do these things, you might consider switching vets. It ain’t the law. Fifth and most importantly, I am not a veterinarian. I just dug this stuff up because I worry about the downside of over-vaccinating my animals, especially the geriatric guys with health problems. After you have educated yourself about this, you should discuss it with your vet and come to the best decision for your animals. I

suggest you check the links below, and any other sources you trust, before you decide anything. For my own dogs, I’ve decided to eliminate all vaccinations for the one with severe allergies and the one with frequent seizures and suspected brain tumor. I am giving only the three-year rabies vaccine to my other older dogs, and I’ll consider a three-year schedule of core vaccines for the others. I’ll use the Bordetella nasal vaccine when necessary. I don’t plan to allow any vaccinations they don’t need, or to use antibody titers to check their status. My vet is cool with this approach. Your situation may be different, and my solution may not work for you. You may even decide to stay on an annual schedule. Here are a couple of useful links. You can dig around for others, but be careful of the sources. Cross-post if you wish, but if you do please don’t change the content. Thanks. http://www.vaccinationnews.com/DailyNews/June2002/PetsDontNeedYearlyShots.htm http://www.aahanet.org/PublicDocuments/VaccineGuidelines06Revised.pdf JJP

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