Annual Vaccinations Unnecessary And Harmful

[kiwikitten]

Annual vaccinations could be harmful: vets toldKelly Burke, Consumer Affairs Reporter

August 11, 2009

VETS have been told to stop advising pet owners to vaccinate annually and to adopt a triennial immunisation program in line with international standards.

The Australian Veterinary Association is expected to announce the change at the World Small Animal Veterinary Association's annual conference in New Zealand next week.

On August 1 the Herald published a story in which veterinary academics warned Australian pet owners they were over-vaccinating.

Since 2007, the international association has recommended that core vaccinations - for canine parvovirus, distemper and hepatitis in dogs and feline calicivirus, herpesvirus and parvovirus in cats - be administered no more than once every three years, and less frequently if possible.

Annual vaccinations for these diseases were unnecessary medical intervention, the association ruled, and exposed an animal to more risk of an adverse reaction. Recent research has also pointed to links between over-vaccination and injection-site tumours in cats and immunological diseases in dogs.

The president of the Australian Veterinary Association, Mark Lawrie, said there were fears pet owners would cease visiting their vet for annual health check-ups if the practice of annual core vaccinations was discontinued, or that owners might stop vaccinating altogether.

There were also concerns that vets would be forced to use vaccinations off-label, as many of the products available in Australia specified for annual use only.

Last week the association sent a communique to its members emphasising the importance of obtaining informed consent from owners before re-vaccinating, and advising the switch to triennial treatment.

''Vaccination recommendations in the past were considered a simple part of animal care but are now a complex and controversial issue,'' the association said. ''It is being recognised that veterinarians should aim to reduce the vaccine load on individual animals.''

As well as reducing the risk of vaccine-related illnesses, owners stand to save about $30 million a year collectively.

The new stance will also force the hand of most boarding kennels and catteries, which insist on proof of annual core vaccinations before accepting animals.

[Do No Harm]

Annual vaccinations could be harmful: vets toldKelly Burke, Consumer Affairs Reporter

August 11, 2009

VETS have been told to stop advising pet owners to vaccinate annually and to adopt a triennial immunisation program in line with international standards.

There is some more on this in another thread http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=173995

The latest AVA Vaccination protocols were ratified by the Board in June.

[kiwikitten]

Annual vaccinations could be harmful: vets toldKelly Burke, Consumer Affairs Reporter

August 11, 2009

VETS have been told to stop advising pet owners to vaccinate annually and to adopt a triennial immunisation program in line with international standards.

There is some more on this in another thread http://www.dolforums.com.au/index.php?showtopic=173995

The latest AVA Vaccination protocols were ratified by the Board in June.

I have a new puppy - she has had her 8 week vaccination. Should I wait until she is 16 weeks for her next one, or get one done at 12 weeks and again at 16?

[Do No Harm]

I have a new puppy - she has had her 8 week vaccination. Should I wait until she is 16 weeks for her next one, or get one done at 12 weeks and again at 16?

The general answer to that may depend on who you ask. Perhaps if you acquired your pup from a registered breeder who knows the breed and bloodlines they may recommend an initial 'course' which they follow and have found both safe and effective. If you have a good vet you could discuss it with him/her. Have you seen the AVA Vaccination policy which was ratified by the Board in June of this year? In part, it states:

"Because of maternally derived antibody and the variability in its level and duration between

individuals, vaccines should ideally be administered two to three times to puppies and kittens,

with timing of the final dose being variable but not earlier than the age of 16 weeks (the

suggested age varies with the manufacturer and the vaccine). If cost is an issue and only one

vaccine is possible, it should be at the age of 16 weeks or older.

A booster vaccine should be administered approximately 12 months later."

If you would like a copy of this document, then please PM me with your email address and I'll reply with the guidelined attached.

Good luck with your new puppy.

[~Anne~]

Psst, you need the opening quote and the end quote for it to work.

[Do No Harm]

Psst, you need the opening quote and the end quote for it to work.

Oops, that for me? Sorry if it confuses anyone. I plead a pre Dummy status! Thanks for the tip (or trip). I'll see if this one works better, LOL.

[~Anne~]

Perfect!

[kiwikitten]

The general answer to that may depend on who you ask. Perhaps if you acquired your pup from a registered breeder who knows the breed and bloodlines they may recommend an initial 'course' which they follow and have found both safe and effective. If you have a good vet you could discuss it with him/her. Have you seen the AVA Vaccination policy which was ratified by the Board in June of this year? In part, it states:

"Because of maternally derived antibody and the variability in its level and duration between

individuals, vaccines should ideally be administered two to three times to puppies and kittens,

with timing of the final dose being variable but not earlier than the age of 16 weeks (the

suggested age varies with the manufacturer and the vaccine). If cost is an issue and only one

vaccine is possible, it should be at the age of 16 weeks or older.

A booster vaccine should be administered approximately 12 months later."

If you would like a copy of this document, then please PM me with your email address and I'll reply with the guidelined attached.

Good luck with your new puppy.

I've seen that - thats why I am asking as normally the puppy would be vaccinated 3 times. But that says "two or three". So I'm wondering if I can skip the 12 week one. I have a chihuahua pup, very small, and I dont really want any unnecessary medical intervention when its not necessary due to her size.

[First Time Puppy Owner]

Hi Kiwikitten - sorry little confused - did you pup have a 6 wk injection at all? Or just an 8 wk one? If it was at 8 wks you could go for the 12 wk one and be out and about on pounding the pavements of your street by 13 wks then!

See when I got my pup all this was not yet really well publised in Australia so my boy had already gotten his 6 wk injection and thus to get him out and about sooner I did a 10 wk one and a 14 wk one and we were off to the parks at 15 wks. Yet had I know about this info properly back then I think I would have only done more more.

Hope that helps you make up your mind!

[Do No Harm]

I've seen that - thats why I am asking as normally the puppy would be vaccinated 3 times. But that says "two or three". So I'm wondering if I can skip the 12 week one. I have a chihuahua pup, very small, and I dont really want any unnecessary medical intervention when its not necessary due to her size.

Since you are asking on this forum, it does sound like you may have some reservations about accepting whatever advice you've been given by traditional sources, e.g. local vet, breeder etc. I would not tell anyone what to do beyind advising them to do their own reseach so they are properly equipeed to make a fully informed decision. Your pup is getting older while you are seacrhing for the information! Depending on where you live, there may be a holistic vet close enough to you that you could see. Holistic veterinarians have for years been raising the proplem of over-vacicantion with their conventional colleagues, so they are aware and won't remonned unnecessary vaccination. There is one in NSW that is often recommende. Here are her details

All Natural Vet Care

Dr Barbara Fougere and Dr Sue Hunter

292 Lyons Road

Russell lea. NSW 2046

tel: 02 9712 5844

fax: 02 9712 5855

web:http://www.naturalvet.com.au/ourpractice.html

Holistic veterinarians do have a website http://www.ahv.com.au/

There's also this one with links to vets around Australia http://www.arkoz.com.au/ahvic.htm

Beyond that you could Google "Ronald Schultz + Canine Vacicnation Protocols" Schultz is a member of the Vaccination Guidelines Group. The World Small Animal Veterinary Association accepts that's group's findings. "Jean Dodds DVM" is another authority. She has been researching canine vaccinations for around 40 years. I have so many documents on file, but going out right now, so perhaps you can do some checking from those I've provided.

Good luck

[Do No Harm]

Just a quick one. Try this link http://www.claremiddle.com/articles/article2.htm

Clare is a holistic vet and this is her advice on a protocol for vaccianting puppies.

Good luck

[Mags]

Was at the vets today and was given the new AVA policy on vaccination of dogs & cats. Was so glad to see it - well past time IMO - still better late then never.

Have attached a link for anyone interested.

http://ava.informz.net/ava/data/images/doc...inal-june09.pdf

Will be interesting to see what happens with vaccine requirements for shows, agility, boarding etc now the AVA has acknowledged vaccines work for signficantly longer than 12 mths and animals should be immunised only as frequently as necessary.

Jo

Edited August 15, 2009 by Mags