Vaccination situation #2

This post is long, but there's just no way around it. I can really talk when I get going, 'eh?



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What vaccinations are we talking about?

In cats, the common vaccines are to Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis (FVR), calicivirus, panleukopenia (parvovirus), leukemia virus, and rabies. Many people are familiar with the term "FVRCP" or "Feline distemper" (distemper is a misnomer for feline vaccines, but it has stuck). The FVRCP vaccine is the common combination vaccine found in veterinary hospitals. Some hospitals add the chlamydia vaccine in the mix and then it is a FVRCCP.



There are also vaccines out there for Feline Infectious Peritonitis (FIP) and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV)


In dogs, the common vaccines are canine distemper virus (CDV), parvovirus, adenovirus (hepatitis). This combination is usually called the DHPP or "distemper combo". Corona virus, parainfluenza virus, leptospirosis, lyme, bordetella, and rabies are all vaccines that may be recommended.


The definition of core vaccines and the guidelines for their use were put forward by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP). Together their findings comprise something like 70 pages of review and over 200 recommended readings. So they really gave this a lot of thought.



Based on these documents, the standard of care was recommended to become every three years on the core vaccines of DHP, FVRCP after completing a comprehensive vaccination series as a puppy or kitten.

Rabies is considered up to a three year vaccine, but actual duration allowed is determined by the state or local government. The vaccine is manufactured in a 1, 2, and 3yr form. So a patient could be required to get a "three year licensed" vaccine every year or two years if the local statutes require it. In the DFW metroplex, for instance, the same three year licensed vaccine is good for three years in Colleyille. However, if you walk across the street to Bedford, that same vaccine is only considered effective for ONE year. Kinda silly, ain't it.


These vaccines aren't considered "core" by the guidelines, so I'll mention them individually:


FIP vaccine - it sucks. I strongly discourage the vaccine. It has actually been shown to make disease worse in certain situations.

FIV vaccine - the jury is still out on this one. It might protect against the particular clade, or strain, of virus where you live, but it does not protect against all forms of FIV virus. The bigger problem is that once your cat is vaccinated, we can no longer tell the difference between a vaccinated cat and an infected cat. The vaccine may be appropriate for some cats, but it is not encouraged by the feline specialists.

Corona virus - probably important in very, very young dogs, but probably a waste of vaccine as an adult. This virus might cause transient diarrhea, but is not considered significant enough to warrant a vaccination for it.

Giardia vaccine - pretty much worthless. It will decrease number of organism shed by the dog, but does not prevent disease. Not much benefit to using this vaccine.

Lyme - Unless you live in an endemic area, don't even waste your time on this vaccine. If you do live in an endemic area (Michigan, New England, New Jersey), then talk to your veterinarian. I was a big proponent of the lyme vaccine when I lived in Connecticut. I really only liked one manufacturer's product. There are arguments against the vaccine. They are based on studies in humans and mice, and in this case dog lyme disease is just different enough to not necessarily translate between the species. I am a believer that we don't have Lyme in Texas. We don't have the right kind of ticks. Some might argue this one, but I'm not convinced at all.

Here are some other tidbits and facts:
--Vaccines for panleukopenia, distemper, and parvovirus may actually prove to provide life-long immunity.
--Vaccines for FVR, parainfluenza probably last three years.
--Vaccines for bordetella, leptospirosis, and FeLV are considered effective for one year maximum.
--Each of the major manufacturers of vaccines will support a three year re-vaccination protocol on the "core vaccines". These include the traditional DHPP and FVRCP.


If your veterinarian requires a vaccine every year, it is because they feel that it's the best medical decision for your pet. The arguments for giving the vaccines every year are 1) Owner compliance 2) Some animals may have such significant exposure (shelter animal) that they may do well with more frequent vaccination and 3) If we can't argue that you are doing harm, is it really a bad deal to do it every year and be SURE?

The last point here is about vaccine titers. This is a pretty lively debate. Cornell university pioneered the use of vaccine titers to see if the body still had enough immunity to determine if the vaccine was necessary that year, of if you could wait another year. These titers usually cost around $100 to run. They argue that the titers are an accurate measurement of the body's ability to resist infection.

I won't bore you with the details, but it's easy to debate this one. Antibody circulating in the blood stream (which is what they are testing) does NOT necessarily translate to protection. You may have no antibody, but plenty of protection. If you have a high titer, you PROBABLY have protection.

If you are absolutely trying to avoid giving any vaccine that is not absolutely required, then titers are appealing. In my humble opinion, however, they are hard to use in a way that actually helps me determine what vaccines need to be given. Not at this point. As our understanding increases, then...maybe. Others steadfastly disagree with me and feel that titers are an effective way to help determine if a pet needs a vaccine. I'm sure we'll find out in the end that the truth was somewhere in between.

I'm sure this will spark questions, so just send them to me and I'll post responses.

AMH