In the news recently, the debate about vaccinations for children was at the forefront during the measles outbreak. There has been a similar debate going on in the veterinary community about vaccines for pets. Clients are electing not to vaccinate their pets or are inquiring about why they should, and if they really need to vaccinate their pets every 3 years? What is the appropriate and recommended protocol? Are we currently over-vaccinating?
In 2011, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) recommended that ALL of the core vaccines go to a 3-year protocol while also stating that “among healthy dogs, all commercially available (core) vaccines are expected to induce a sustained protective immune response lasting at least 5 years.” Many clients and professionals will still argue that an every 3-year protocol is still over-vaccinating and in fact most adult animals will have lifelong immunity without the need for repeated vaccination. Should we go to a 5 year or longer protocol for the DHPP and FVRCP vaccines?
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