|
The “New” Vaccination Protocol in a
Nutshell
2006 AAHA
Canine Task Force Guidelines
Last month, the American
Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) released their revised Canine Vaccine
Guidelines, which updates their groundbreaking 2003 Guidelines and adds
a suggested protocol for dogs in shelter environments.
The announcement sparked a small flurry of discussion on a few
mailing lists and message forums, and the surprising revelation that
many people were still unaware of the Guidelines released three years
ago and the major changes to standard vaccination procedures that it
presented. Though the
information was not actually new even in 2003, it had not previously
been compiled in a single document, nor had a vaccination schedule based
on the information been officially recommended.
Vaccine Groups
The most widely-accepted
of the recommended changes is the categorization of vaccines.
Instead of every dog receiving vaccinations for every disease, a
dog should only be vaccinated for those diseases which are significant,
and to which the dog is likely to be exposed.
Vaccines are broken down in the three groups: Core (recommended)
vaccines, those which are suggested for all dogs; Non-core (optional)
vaccines, those which are given on an as-needed basis, depending on
exposure risk and such things as location and lifestyle; and Not
Recommended vaccines, those that have not been consistently effective in
preventing disease, or those which are for diseases that are not
clinically significant and/or respond readily to treatment.
Core Vaccines
Canine Distemper
Virus
Canine Parvovirus
Canine Adenovirus-2
Rabies Virus
Non-core Vaccines
Distemper-Measles
Virus (Never indicated in
animals older than 12 weeks)
Canine Parainfluenza
Virus (This is not the recently reported canine influenza virus)
Leptospira spp.
Bordatella
bronchiseptica (Kennel Cough)
Borellia burgdorferi
(Lyme Disease)
Not Recommended Vaccines
Canine Coronavirus
Giardia spp.
Canine Adenovirus-1
(The Adenovirus-2 vaccine provides cross-immunity to Adenovirus-1)
No Position
Crotalus atrox Toxiod
(Rattlesnake)
Porphyromonas sp.
(Periodontal Disease)
In 2006, these two
vaccines were added to the Guidelines, with the statement that “Because
of a lack of experience and paucity of field validation of efficacy, the
Task Force takes no position on the use of this vaccine.
A reasonable expectation of efficacy does exist.”
Revaccination
Another major change,
this one quite a bit more controversial, is the recommendation for less
frequent revaccination. While
veterinary immunologists have been stating that annual vaccination is
unnecessary for nearly three decades, many veterinarians are still
promoting yearly “booster shots”.
The AAHA Task Force evaluated the data from a number of challenge
and serological studies and, while noting that the core vaccines had a
minimum duration of immunity of at least seven years, compromised with
the statement that “revaccination every 3 years is considered protective.”
(In the 2006 update, this was changed to “revaccination
every 3 years or more is
considered protective.”)
Vaccination Dos and Don’ts
The 2003 Guidelines
included a list of 14 “Important Vaccination Dos and Don’ts” –
13 of which were “Don’ts”. These
include such things as:
-
Do Not Vaccinate Needlessly
-
Do Not Vaccinate Anesthetized Patients
-
Do Not Vaccinate Pregnant Dogs
-
Do Not Assume that Vaccines Cannot Harm a Patient
-
Do
Not Vaccinate Animals on Immunosuppressive Therapy
-
Do
Not Revaccinate a Dog with Vaccines Previously Known to Induce
Anaphylaxis in that Dog
And
the Do:
Do
Make Sure the Last Dose of a Puppy Immunization Series is Administered
≥12 Weeks of Age
Vaccinations for Shelter Dogs
The 2006 Guidelines also
introduced recommendations for vaccination of dogs in shelter
environments. Aside from the
schedule, the biggest differences were the repositioning of the
Bordatella vaccines into the Recommended category, and the Rabies
vaccine into the Optional category, with the vaccine given prior to
placement rather than immediately upon entrance into the shelter.
Comprehensive Individualized Care
An underlying theme in
the AAHA Guidelines, as well as the AVMA’s policy on vaccination, is
that there is no one vaccination protocol that will work for every dog.
Decisions on which vaccines to use, and when, should be made
based on a dog’s age, breed, health status, environment, lifestyle,
and travel habits. Vaccination
should be only one component of a comprehensive preventive health care
plan, and veterinarians and
clients should work together to determine the vaccination protocol that
gives the best chances of maintaining immunity while minimizing the
potential for adverse events. |
