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11.11.2011
Please note that all articles are advisory only - if you you have a serious problem you should consult your vet immediately.
- Vaccines protect against disease by using small amounts of the things that cause the disease.
- Puppies and kittens need a course of two injections.
- Boosters are needed every year but different vaccinations are given in different years.
- Your pet will get a full health check before each vaccination.
- Annual health checks are vital in order to keep your pet healthy.
- Vaccines are safe and effective.
- There are no effective alternatives to vaccination.
There have been many great improvements made over the years to the quality and span of life of our pets and one of the main contributors to this is vaccination. While the often fatal diseases against which we can protect are still around, as vets we see far fewer cases than we used to thanks to effective vaccine use by responsible pet owners.
These diseases still occur however and outbreaks still happen occasionally such as one in Finland in the early nineties when the number of dogs vaccinated against distemper fell to below 50% and the resulting outbreak affected at least 5000 dogs, 30% of which died (Ek-Kommonen, 1997). Recently in the veterinary press there have been reports of dogs dying from leptospirosis (a bacterial infection which can also spread to humans) within a few months of their vaccination expiring.
How vaccines work
Vaccination helps prevent disease by introducing a small amount of the substance that causes the disease into the animal’s body, usually by injection. The vaccine is in a greatly weakened form and isn’t capable of actually causing the disease but it is enough for the animal’s immune system to detect and to mount a strong response against. Thus the immune system is “primed” so, in future, when the animal comes across the “wild” infection its immune system is ready to fight it off. The immune system is used to responding to hundreds of challenges every day in the normal course of events as we eat and breathe and otherwise introduce foreign substances into our bodies which have to be dealt with, so responding to vaccination is no problem.
Although the initial ‘primary course’ generally gives solid protection, with time this immunity will fall, at different rates depending on the type of vaccine used, so regular booster injections are vital at different intervals for the different parts (components) of the vaccines. At the same time as the booster your pet will be given a thorough check over to pick up any other potential problems as early as possible, sometimes even before you are aware of them yourself.
What diseases do we vaccinate against - who gets what?
In dogs the so-called core vaccines are distemper (the same as hard pad), canine viral hepatitis, canine parvo-virus and (in the UK) 2 strains of leptospirosis, a bacterial disease which also affects humans, causing a condition called Weill’s disease. Many people have dogs further protected against kennel cough by means of nasal drops which confer protection against a bacteria called Bordatella bronchiseptica and the canine para-influenza virus, although kennel cough has many potential causes (a dog doesn’t even have to have been anywhere near a kennels to get it!), some of which it is not possible to vaccinate against. Occasionally, in breeding bitches we will vaccinate against herpes virus as this condition can interfere with conception and embryonic development.
Puppies starting vaccination will have an initial course of two injections two to four weeks apart. Occasionally, in some breeds, particularly the Rottweiller we will recommend another vaccination at around six months of age to make sure the vaccine has “taken”. After the first booster at just over a year of age boosters are given every year for leptospirosis and every three years for distemper, hepatitis and parvo-virus. To protect against ‘kennel cough’ nasal drops are needed, with a booster every year.
In cats the core vaccines are feline viral enteritis (also known as feline panleukopenia or feline parvo-virus), feline calici virus and feline herpes virus (both common causes of cat flu) and feline leukaemia virus (FeLV), a virus which can cause the cancer leukaemia, or lymphoma, in cats (although not every case of lymphoma is caused by this virus). It is also possible to vaccinate cats further against cat flu by means of intranasal drops to protect against Bordatella bronchiseptica infection, and some cats are also vaccinated against Chlamydia, a small bacteria-like organism that can cause respiratory and reproductive problems.
The primary course for kittens is two injections three to four weeks apart, after which yearly boosters are given in order to maintain immunity.
Rabbits are vaccinated against myxomatosis and viral haemorrhagic disease (VHD) both of which can be caught from wild rabbits, even without direct contact and both of which unfortunately are fatal conditions. Although the primary course for each vaccine is just one injection they cannot be given at the same time. What this means is that the rabbit will have 2 injections, a fortnight or so apart given every year. In cases where the risk is considered high the advice is to vaccinate every six months.
Ferrets should be vaccinated against canine distemper. Although there are no licensed ferret vaccines in the UK dog vaccines have been used for many years quite safely.
Dogs, cats and ferrets can also be vaccinated against rabies, this requires a booster every three years and is usually only done in animals travelling abroad.
Types of vaccine and when to vaccinate
Broadly speaking there are 2 types of vaccines that are used in animals. The first type are live vaccines such as distemper, hepatitis, myxomatosis or feline panleukopaenia which use a much weakened strain of the virus to stimulate the immune system. The second type is killed vaccines such as rabies, leptospirosis or VHD which strengthens the body's defences using an inactivated bacteria or virus. For a long time it has been known that the live vaccines give better and longer immunity than the killed ones and it has not been necessary to give them every year.
The immunity from killed vaccines on the other hand lasts only 1 year so annual boosters are still required to protect against leptospirosis for example. The good news where leptospirosis is concerned though is that the protection from this vaccine has been greatly improved. The newest form of this vaccine as well as protecting against disease itself, now prevents an affected dog from shedding bacteria thus protecting the environment and other dogs and people from this 
terrible condition.
terrible condition.
It is vital that we continue to vaccinate our pets. At the moment a large proportion of the dog and cat population is vaccinated and this means that the few who are not are still protected indirectly because there is less disease around; this is phenomenon known as “herd immunity”. These unvaccinated individuals, however are at great risk should any of these diseases appear and once the number of vaccinated animals in a population falls below a certain level, as in Finland in 1990 (Ek-Kommonen, 1997), the results could be devastating.
In the case of rabbits the main threat of infection is from wild rabbits and the diseases can be spread by biting insects so any animals which live outdoors, even in a hutch should be vaccinated evey year.
Ferrets often live in closed colonies and here the situation is different; if they are completely isolated from ferrets outside the colony then an initial vaccination may be all that is needed and regular boosters may not be required. If there is any risk though, that the ferrets in a colony might mix with others then boosters against distemper should be given every two years or so. Furthermore, any new ferret being introduced into a colony should be isolated for at least four to six weeks before full introduction to ensure that the newcomer is not harbouring anything contagious such as aleutian disease (for which there is no vaccine). Even then there is a degree of risk as a closed colony may be ‘immunologically naive’ and prone to infection; introducing new ferrets to a closed colony is risky and should only be done after careful consideration.
Antibody testing
In dogs it is possible to get an indication of the level of immunity to certain, specific diseases by taking a blood sample and having it analysed for the amount of circulating antibodies which are present. This is also known as ‘titre testing’. Antibody levels obtained in this way need careful interpretation as immunity to disease is a complex subject and whether or not an animals is resistant depends on more than simply antibody levels. In the case of certain diseases however, if the levels of antibody are above a certain threshold this is strongly suggestive that the animal probably has good immunity and it may be safe not to give a booster vaccination. The vaccine components where this can be of use are the live, attenuated ones, which is to say distemper, parvovirus and canine adenovirus (hepatitis).
Antibody testing is of no use in the case of the intranasal vaccines which rely on local immunity in the nose and throat or with the leptospirosis vaccine where the results are simply unreliable and, in any case, it is well understood that immunity following leptospira vaccination lasts twelve months at most (some authorities actually recommend vaccination against leptospirosis every nine months).
Vaccine Safety
There is always debate as to how to make the best use of vaccines and other medicines. Although vaccines are extremely safe, particularly compared with the diseases they protect against, much research and thought is been put into their continuing improvement.
A recent scientific study known as the ‘POOCH’ report (Edwards, 2004) looked at over 4000 dogs which had recently been vaccinated and concluded, “Results demonstrated that recent vaccination (<3 months) does not increase signs of ill-health by more than 0.5% and may actually decrease it by as much as 5%.”. This was an extremely rigorous study conducted according to strict scientific criteria and is strong evidence of the safety of vaccination in pets. One of the report’s authors, Dr James Wood, head of epidemiology at the veterinary charity The Animal Health Trust stated “This is completely contrary to the claims which have hit the headlines... people should understand that our research results clearly demonstrate the absence of any deleterious association between routine vaccination and signs of ill health.”.
In cats vaccines also have an excellent safety record. There is, however a well recognised, although rare condition known as vaccine associated sarcoma (VAS) which has been associated with vaccination against feline leukaemia (FeLV) and other types of (non-vaccine) injections as well. There is no known association with cat flu and enteritis vaccines. VAS is a serious form of cancer which develops at the site of injection but only affects around one in ten thousand cats in the United States, while the incidence is even lower in the UK. FeLV itself is a virus which causes an equally deadly form of cancer with a far higher incidence than that of VAS so, on balance it is still of benefit to vaccinate your cat against FeLV.
In the United States the Vaccine Associated Sarcoma Task Force are looking at VAS and developing ways to reduce the risk even further. In the UK VAS is even less common although veterinary associations such as the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) have issued statements about VAS and vaccination in general and the government has responded to a working party report on the issue. In the USA one of the biggest studies carried out on VAS found no variation in incidence between different brands of vaccine and found that there was no association with the aluminium adjuvant included in some vaccines to improve the immune response. The authors state:
“...that vaccines played a causal role in the increase in the number of soft tissue sarcomas identified in cats during the 1990’s is no longer in question. An abundance of evidence consistently points to a heightened risk among cats receiving FeLV, rabies virus, and possibly other vaccines. Nevertheless, avoiding using these vaccines can be even more dangerous and just as counterproductive. The diseases they are designed to prevent are not rare or without veterinary or human public health importance, and the agents that cause these diseases are themselves capable of resulting in epidemics. As veterinarians and cat owners strive toward an uneasy juxtaposition of the relative costs and benefits of vaccination, an improved understanding of exogenous (extrinsic) risk factors associated with the development of FVASs becomes even more vitally important.” (Kass et al 2003).
Should I be concerned about the risks?
In a nutshell, no!
The true incidence of adverse reactions to vaccines is incredibly low and those which are seen are generally short lasting, mild and self limiting; this is borne out by not only practitioners' clinical experiences but also by good quality research such as the ‘POOCH’ report mentioned above (Edwards, 2004). In over 25 years of practice I have seen perhaps two cases where there seemed to be a reaction following a vaccination which reocurred the following year also following vaccination. These cases were relatively mild and the animals recovered fully with little or no treatment required. On the other hand I heve seen very many cases where I have identified serious health problems in dogs and cats at the annual health check which the owners were unaware of and might have been missed without such a check.
Although there are a few pressure groups who maintain that there is a risk from vaccination or claim that vaccination might be responsible for a range of chronic (i.e. long lasting) conditions such as skin disease, arthritis or hormone problems this is simply false and the evidence they give to support their claims is either of a very low standard or relies on a disingenuous mis-interpretation of advice from professional bodies. Bear in mind that dogs or cats may get one or more of these conditions whether or not they are vaccinated - just because a dog has been vaccinated and then develops say, arthritis doesn't mean that the vaccine has caused the arthritis, there are so many other likely causes and, what is more there is no known mechanism by which vaccination can cause such problems. Such groups try to maintain that there is a controversy about the use of vaccines in dogs and cats but in fact there isn't; the only controversy is a contrived one among non-science based organisations who have their own reasons to be opposed to vaccination (see below). The scientific community as a whole, including researchers, doctors and vets is united in its support for vaccination.
Even in the case of the only genuine adverse reaction which is seen, the vaccine associated sarcoma in cats, although it is a serious condition, the incidence is so low (we have never seen a case at Orchard Veterinay Group) and much rarer than the incidence of viral leukaemia which the vaccine prevents that, on balance, the advice of the Vaccine Associated Sarcoma Taskforce is to continue to vaccinate cats as this carries the lesser risk (Vaccine-Associated Feline Sarcoma Task Force 2011(a) and 2011(b)).
Are their alternatives to vaccination?
In a nutshell, no (again)!
Despite the many web sites around offering so called alternatives to vaccines, it is simply not possible to “boost the immune system” in any way by using diet, herbs, homeopathy or anything else. In fact the phrase “boost the immune” system has no real meaning, being simply a marketing slogan used by the people selling these products (who are also usually the ones who are against proper vaccinations!). Once again the evidence behind such claims is always of a poor standard.
So called 'homeopathic vaccines', or nosodes, despite having a small number of highly vocal supporters have no evidence to support their use and will not prevent disease. The Faculty of Homeopathy itself advises that nosodes should not be used in place of proper vaccinations (Bedford 2000).
Want to know more?
If you would like to know more about vaccinations in dogs, cats, rabbits and ferrets or about antibody testing in dogs please contact the surgery on (01458) 832972 or email me for more information.
references and background reading (all links accessed November 2011):
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Bedford, H., Elliman, D., 2000 Concerns about immunisation British Medical Journal (Education and debate) Vol. 320 pp. 240-243
[A British Medical Journal article about the efficacy & safety of vaccines generally. This article points out that the Faculty of Homeopathy endorses vaccine use & there is no evidence for short or long-term protection from homeopathic nosodes] http://bmj.com/cgi/content/full/320/7229/240 |
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Day, M.J., 2006 Vaccine side effects: Fact and fiction Veterinary Microbiology Vol. 117 no. 1 pp. 51-58 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378113506001441
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3)
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Edwards, D.S., Henley, W.E., Ely, E.R., Wood, J.N.L., 2004 Vaccination and ill-health in dogs: a lack of temporal association and evidence of equivalence vaccine Vol. 22, no. 25-26, pp 3270-3273 [The “POOCH” report] http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264410X04002865
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4)
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Ek-Kommonen, C., Sihvonen, L., Pekkanen, K., Rikula, U., Nuotio, L., 1997 Outbreak of canine distemper in vaccinated dogs in Finland Veterinary Record Vol.141 pp. 380-383 http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/141/15/380.abstract
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5)
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Kass, P.H., Spangler, W.L., Hendrick, M.J., McGill, L.D., Esplin, D.G., Lester, S., Slater, M., Meyer, E.K., Boucher, F., Peters, E.M., Gobar, G.G., Htoo, T., Decile, K., 2003 Multicenter case-control study of risk factors associated with development of vaccine-associated sarcomas in cats Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association Vol. 223 no. 9 http://www.felineasthma.org/vas/vascatsfiles/riskfactorsstudy.pdf
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6)
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Morrison, W.B., Robin M. Starr, R.M., and the Vaccine-Associated Feline Sarcoma Task Force 2001 Report of the Vaccine-Associated Feline Sarcoma Task Force - Vaccine-associated feline sarcomas Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association Vol. 218 no. 5 pp. 697-702 http://www.avma.org/vafstf/vafstf01.asp
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7)
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National Office of Animal Health briefing document 12 (revised Sept 2004) - Dog Vaccines: Your Questions Answered http://www.freewebs.com/richa58/bd12.pdf
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National Office of Animal Health briefing document 10 (revised November 2010) - Vaccination of Companion Animals http://www.noah.co.uk/issues/briefingdoc/bd10.pdf
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Veterinary Medicines Directorate position paper on authorised vaccination schedules for dogs 2010 http://www.vmd.defra.gov.uk/pdf/vaccines_VMDpositionpaper.pdf
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10)
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Vaccine-Associated Feline Sarcoma Task Force website http://www.avma.org/vafstf/default.asp
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Vaccine-Associated Feline Sarcoma Task Force 2011(a) - Vaccines and Sarcomas: A Concern for Cat Owners http://www.avma.org/vafstf/ownbroch.asp
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12)
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Vaccine-Associated Feline Sarcoma Task Force 2011(b) - Feline Vaccines: Benefits and Risks http://www.avma.org/vafstf/rbbroch.asp
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13)
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World Small Animal Veterinary Association Guidelines for the Vaccination of dogs and cats 2007 http://www.wsava.org/PDF/Misc/VGG_09_2007.pdf
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