VACCINATE OR NOT TO VACCINATE?

We have grown up traditionally with a yearly vaccination scheduled to protect our animals from deadly diseases. The research of pharmaceutical companies has outlined this regime of yearly boosters. City Council and Animal Health Australia regulations are applicable to all boarding kennels, dog schools, shows, racing, and for export animals. These regulations require that canines must hold a current ANNUAL VACCINATION certificate. Further, Pet Insurance policies stipulate an annual vaccination as well.

There is more and more awareness of serious vaccination side effects that does not seem to be published by the manufacturers of vaccines. New challenge studies have shown that the immunity achieved by using canine core vaccines may last for as long as three to seven years.  In August 2007 the Vaccination Group of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) announced a recommendation of 3 yearly core vaccination (C3, F3) schedules for dogs and cats.

Questions arising:

Is legislation not complying with the best interest of our precious animals?  Perhaps it may be time for a rethink?

If protective immunity lasts considerably longer than one year, could over vaccination be a health concern?

Is there a diagnostic system determining if a booster is needed or not (just as in human medicine)?

Questions that have not been addressed:

Vaccine administration has never been practically evaluated in Australian Veterinary practices and finding independent data on the topic is difficult as most research is pharmaceutical based.

Vaccination Basics

1. Do not forget, animals have to be healthy to mount the best immune response from vaccination procedures. If not feeling 100% or stressed it is best to delay it. For the same reason we never recommend coupling vaccination with dental/surgery or worming procedures.
2. Natural diet and immune booster supplements are the bases for blooming health and immunity.
3. Vaccinate from 8 weeks of age, not before!
   Before 8 weeks of age there are still a large number of maternally derived antibodies (MDA) in the circulation from mum to protect the newborn.
   These natural immune proteins override the effect of the vaccine, so vaccination is wasted and will only add extra stress to an already overwhelmed puppy (being weaned, taken from mum, new owner, new home, new diet with worming and flea/tick treatment pesticide cascade).
4. Mixing your puppy/kitten with other animals is safer at about 14-15 weeks of age, approximately 14 days after the second booster thus by that time the animal acquires enough protection.

5. Choose the least numbered vaccine (least combination of infectious agents) as multiple pathogens are not necessarily needed but increases immunological stress.
6. Choose locally acting oral or nasal vaccines if possible. Administration takes a little more effort but provides superior immunity with no side effects attributed to injections. (for example Kennel cough vaccine drops deposited into nostrils are acting on the respiratory system straight away which is the infection site).

7. If using injections, the live attenuated (weakened) vaccines provide rapid, stronger and longer lasting protection compared to killed vaccines.
8. We do not recommend vaccinating pregnant animals.
9. Animals with on-going health problems such as heart, kidney, liver disease, diabetes, hormonal and autoimmune disorders, skin problems or with previous tumours need special consideration about vaccination. Every individual is different and they are the ones truly needing a special vaccination program.

Following the international guidelines for canine and feline vaccinations by the Group of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) there are:

A: Core vaccines - covering the most severe diseases that are difficult to treat and harming mainly young growing animals with a developing immune system. So they are important!

B: Non-core vaccines: milder diseases and keeping animals in top condition will provide enough protection from natural infections.

C: Not recommended vaccines: questionable immunity after vaccinations for rare diseases with increased immunological stress.

Dogs

Core vaccines:	Parvo, Distemper and Adenovirus
Non-core vaccines:	Parainfluenza, Bordetella and Leptospirosis
Not recommended	Giardia or Coronavirus.

What's what then?
C3 = the core vaccines; parvo, distemper and adenovirus
C4 = C3 + parainfluenza virus (part of kennel cough)
C5 = C4+ Bordatella br. Bact (part of kennel cough)
C6 –C10=C5 + corona virus, leptospirosis, giardia, tetanus, Lyme disease

 

Cats

Core vaccines:	panleucopaenia (FPV or feline parvovirus), herpesvirus (FHV) calicivirus (FCV)
Non-core vaccines:	Leukaemia virus (FeLV), Chlamydia
Not recommended	feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), Feline infectiousperitonitis (FIV), Giardiosis.

What's what then?
F3 = core vaccines FPV, FHV and FCV
F4 = F3 + FeLV
F5 = F4+ FIV
F6 = F5+ giardia.

 

Side effects of vaccines?

For years, veterinarians documented a small number of animals especially toy breed dogs with acute reactions after injecting a vaccine.  These reactions included local itching, facial oedema, low-grade fever, muscle aches and pain, lethargy for few days.

A small number of animals will have a latent local skin reaction ranging from cyst formation to tumours which may become malignant.  These are documented short term side effects.
Long term and accumulative effects are harder to follow. In practice we have noticed the flare up of skin, ear and degenerative diseases within 2 months of vaccination or heartworm injections.

Is anyone connecting vaccination/over vaccination as potential immune modulator?

How about todays increasing number of autoimmune ailments, neurological, learning disorders, canine autism, rage syndrome, eye and skin disease, inflammatory joint problems…? These “new age” syndromes were rare before 1980; the beginning of parvo vaccinations.

After all, we want healthy and immune protected animals with the least possible vaccination!

Is there a quick and relatively inexpensive way to check immunity status before a booster?

Yes, hurray!  After natural infection or vaccination the body’s response is specific.
White blood cells will produce identical antibodies (Ig M and G) against the “infectious agent”.  These antibodies now can be measured from the blood with dry phase ELISA serology testing just by taking a few drops of blood.

As the chart shows IgM levels begin to decline within 2 weeks but IgG levels start to rise and remain elevated for months to years. Measuring the IgG level at any time is the best to reflect immunity status for a certain disease.

In-clinic test provides useful information to:

• Diagnose infection, evaluate response to natural exposure

• Assess post vaccination effectiveness

• Unknown vaccination history, orphans

• Check current immune status before vaccination

 

 

Animal Options Recommended Vaccine Regime
Time	Dogs	Cats
From 8 weeks	C3	F3
From 12 weeks	C3 or C4	F3
From 16 weeks	C3 +/- kennel cough nasal	F3
20 weeks	Titer test to check gained puppy immunity	Titer test to check gained kitten immunity

 

Yearly or at any age

Titer test to assess immune status (few drops of blood) Numerical system to reflect the level of immunity: 1-zero immunity 2-very low immunity 3-low immunity Re-vaccination recommended. Dogs -C3+/- kennel cough nasal vaccine Cats -F3 Will issue vaccination certificate. 4-sufficient immunity 5-high immunity 6-very high immunity Vaccination is not needed and will issue a vaccination titer certificate.

 

Animal Options now offer a new blood test called Titer Testing. This test reveals each pet's antibody status.The results are then interpreted to determine if your pet is currently protected against a specific infectious disease or if an appropriate vaccine booster should be administered.

For more information on obtaining Titer Testing for your pet contact us: (07) 5546 6756