VACCINATION FACT SHEET1 Vaccinations as a Component of Comprehensive, Individuali ed Care For many years, the practice of veterinary medicine

has benefited from the annual administration of vaccines. By encouraging dog owners to bring their pets in yearly for vaccinations, veterinarians have been able to recognize and treat disease earlier than might otherwise have been the case and to inform clients of important aspects of canine health care. They have also prevented epidemics of disease and so vaccination is a very important part of disease prevention and every dog should be vaccinated, but it is not essential to vaccinate every year. However each dogs vaccination needs should be assessed at least yearly and modified on the basis of changes in your dogs age, health status, home and travel environment, and lifestyle. Your vet should e plain the potential benefits and ris!s of vaccination and assess their suitability for your dog given its lifestyle and ris! of e posure. The Immune S!stem as it Applies to Vaccination "nderstanding the immune system provides a basis for understanding the nature of vaccine immunity. Two ma#or types of immunity prevent or limit infectious diseases$ nonspecific %innate& immunity and specific %adaptive& immunity. 'n nature, it is innate immunity %including s!in, hair, tears, normal microbial flora, and mucus and acidity of the gut& that prevents a ma#ority of disease causing agents from infecting and(or causing disease in animals. )daptive immunity is characterised by being specific and having memory, and is the type of immunity stimulated when an animal receives a vaccine. This specific immune system response is comprised of$ *. Humoral "anti#od!$ immunit!, where B lymphocytes %plasma cells& produce the four immunoglobulin classes$ 'g+, 'g,, 'g), and 'g-. other cells %phagocytic cells and effector molecules& also play an important role. /. Cell%mediated immunit! "C&I$ is comprised of T lymphocytes and their effector molecules, including T helper cells, T regulatory cells, T cytoto ic cells, macrophages, and a number of products of the cells called cyto!ines. The Immune 'esponse to Vaccination or Infection 0hen an animal is vaccinated or infected, the immune response includes cloning of antigen1specific T and B cells that serve as effector cells for immediate protection and memory cells that provide long1term immunity. The effector cells themselves are usually short lived, dying in days or wee!s after stimulation.
*

2eport of the )merican )nimal Hospital )ssociation %))H)& 3anine 4accine Tas! Force$ /556 3anine 4accine +uidelines, 2ecommendations, and 7upporting 8iterature

)88 9)T"2)8 4-T 3)2/:/ 8yons 2d 2ussell 8ea /5;< p 5/ :=*/ >?;; f 5/ :=*/ >?>>

,emory cells, on the other hand, survive for years, often for the life of an animal for some vaccines and infections. ,emory T and B cells and the antibodies produced by long1lived memory effector B cells cooperate to provide protection from challenge at a later time in life for the vaccinated animals that come in contact with the disease causing agent. )vailable information suggests that vaccine protection from infection and(or disease in the dog is regulated primarily by humoral immunity and secondarily by cell1mediated immunity. This finding is particularly true when vaccination is !nown to prevent reinfection %sterilising immunity&. This is the ultimate form of immunity because disease cannot develop when infection is bloc!ed or infection is significantly limited. 7terilising immunity occurs after effective vaccination %protection& against certain pathogens such as distemper, infectious canine hepatitis, and canine parvovirus. However, when vaccination fails to protect against infection and instead protects against the development of clinical disease %as is the case for 3anine parainfluenza @!ennel coughA vaccination&, cell mediated immunity and humoral immunity both play a critical role in preventing or reducing the severity of diseaseBnot by preventing infection but by limiting its effects or !eeping the infection localised. 't is essential to note that the mechanism of protective immunity in a vaccinated dog is very different from immunity in an unvaccinated naive dog. )ntibody is usually present in a vaccinated dog and functions to limit or prevent infection. 't is never present at the time of infection in an unvaccinated, naive animal. Furthermore, cell mediated and humoral immunity due to memory cells is stimulated in minutes to hours when a vaccinated animal is infected %called an anamnestic response&. whereas it ta!es days or wee!s %primary response& to be stimulated in a nonvaccinated, immunologically naive dog. Anti#od! Titre Tests to &onitor Immunit! 'n a vaccinated animal, antibody plays the primary role, because it prevents infection %sterilizing immunity& or limits the infection, and 3,' plays a minor role. 'f infection occurs, antibody increases rapidly and restricts infection . The presence of serum antibodies to an infectious agent1even if detected months or years after vaccination, indicates that the animal has the memory cells reCuired for a rapid anamnestic cell1mediated and antibody response if the animal is e posed to the same infectious agent at a later time. How then should antibody titers be used to monitor vaccine immunityD They can be helpful in the following ways$ E to determine if there has been an immune response following vaccination E to determine the duration of immunity )88 9)T"2)8 4-T 3)2/:/ 8yons 2d 2ussell 8ea /5;< p 5/ :=*/ >?;; f 5/ :=*/ >?>>

E to ensure the vaccine is immunogenic E to !now precisely when to vaccinate a puppy E to determine whether the animal is a @low or nonresponderA to certain vaccines )lthough the 3anine 4accination Tas! Force committee does not feel it is necessary to determine titers to core viruses on an annual basis because of the long minimum duration of immunity, titers can be used for your assurance that an animal has immunity. - perience with postvaccination titers for 3anine Fistemper 4irus, 3anine )denovirus, and 3anine Garvovirus shows that sterile immunity lasts for years. thus, if the test is positive * year after vaccination, it is li!ely to be positive H6 years after vaccination. ()((IES The primary reason for the Titre test is to ensure that you have a positive test after completing the puppy vaccination series. For e ample, if you have vaccinated at < to ?, : to **, and */ to *; wee!s of age and test the serum H/ wee!s after the final vaccination at *; to *< wee!s, the test should be positive. 'f the test is negative, then you should revaccinate again immediately. 'f the test is not positive shortly %H/ wee!s& after the final vaccination, it suggests that the animal was not immunised. 'f you waited until * year of age, as we do now, the animal would potentially be susceptible during the most critical time in its life, the time when the animal needs to have vaccine immunity. - perience with the Titre test demonstrates greater than :5I of the dogs tested after the puppy series and up to 6 years after vaccination are positive, an indication they have sterile immunity and dont need to be revaccinated with core vaccines.

)88 9)T"2)8 4-T 3)2/:/ 8yons 2d 2ussell 8ea /5;< p 5/ :=*/ >?;; f 5/ :=*/ >?>>

Canine Vaccination Protocol

Revised 10/03 (Adapted from protocol of Dr Jean Dodds) Our schedule is the one we recommend however it should NOT be interpreted to mean that other protocols are not suitable. We believe it is important to weigh up the risks and benefits for the individual animal and this can only be done in the context of understanding the complete health status of the animal. For dogs susceptible to or affected with immune dysfunction, immune-mediated disease, immune-reactions associated with vaccinations, or autoimmune endocrine disease (e.g., thyroiditis, Addison's or Cushing's disease, diabetes, etc.)the following protocol is recommended Age of Pups ! weeks &' weeks accine Type "# $istemper%Parvovirus% Adenovirus only "# $istemper%Parvovirus%Adenovirus only "# $istemper%Parvovirus%Adenovirus only +Total of , doses ON#- first ,. & year "# $istemper%Parvovirus%Adenovirus only booster

&()'* weeks

After ! year, annually measure serum antibody titers against specific canine infectious agents such as distemper and parvovirus. "his can be done on a rotating basis. "his is especially recommended for animals previously e#periencing adverse vaccine reactions or breeds at higher ris$ for such reactions (e.g./ Weimaraner/ Akita/ 0reat $ane). Another alternative to booster vaccinations is homeopathic nosodes. "his option is considered an unconventional treatment that has not been scientifically proven to be efficacious. %ne controlled parvovirus nosode study did not ade&uately protect puppies under challenged conditions. 'e do (%" recommend vaccinating bitches during estrus, pregnancy or lactation. 'e do not recommend vaccinating during times of stress such as surgery, travel, illness or infection. 'e do not recommend vaccination in an animal with chronic disease or allergies.

Glease as! about assessing the ris!s and benefits of vaccination for your dog. )88 9)T"2)8 4-T 3)2/:/ 8yons 2d 2ussell 8ea /5;< p 5/ :=*/ >?;; f 5/ :=*/ >?>>