Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution => Topic started by: itadiki on 19/03/2018 20:51:54
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Hello,
As a human i get vaccinate every 10 or 25 years depending on vaccin as an adult.
Why does my dog need to be vaccinated every year?
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This is definitely an @SquarishTriangle question!
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Hmmm....
It may depend on the disease and where you are. Rabies has been considered eradicated from the UK, and much of Europe, so there may be no real reason to give repeat injections, although there may still be arguments to continue vaccinating as the disease is endemic in much of the rest of the world.
Here is an interesting article.
https://vitalanimal.com/vaccination-efficacy/
It indicates that the vaccines may well be effective for the life of the animals. However, part of the testing is to vaccinate the animals, then after a period of time, present them with a "challenge" of live virus (which would probably be deemed unethical to do with humans). The vaccine is then rated for the challenge period.
It is quite possible there is a financial incentive to require annual boosters, and not continue testing animals for longer time periods.
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(Do I really want to talk about vaccines over the internet?...)
Hi itadiki,
I'm not sure where in the world you are, so please keep in mind that it is really difficult for me to give an answer that applies across all countries. If you want an accurate answer for your particular situation and location, it would be best that you speak to your local vet directly.
The answer will vary depending on what diseases are prevalent (common) where you live (or travel to), and what registered vaccines are available to veterinarians in your country. Even within a given country, there may be variation in vaccination recommendations since some diseases occur more commonly in some areas than others, depending on factors such as geographical variation, urban vs. farm environment, and socioeconomics.
For example, I live in a part of Australia that is urban, and the main infectious diseases of concern in dogs that can be vaccinated for are parvovirus ("Parvo" gastroenteritis), adenovirus ("hepatitis"), distemper virus ("distemper"), parainfluenza virus ("kennel cough" or "canine cough" complex) and Bordetella bronchiseptica bacteria ("kennel cough" or "canine cough" complex). So these are the diseases that our local recommendations are based on. Some more rural and farming areas may also have increased risk of Leptospira bacterial infection (leptospirosis), so vaccination recommendations will reflect that. I’m less familiar with rabiesvirus recommendations, as we don’t have rabies in Australia, but it is another common routine vaccination performed in other countries.
So… The easy part of the answer is that the available “kennel cough” or “canine cough” vaccines all have a short duration of immunity, of approximately one year, so that is why that part of the vaccination program is always recommended as a yearly booster. Dogs that lapse on these boosters are at risk of becoming ill themselves, and shedding disease to other dogs.
The other part of the routine vaccination protocol (the “C3” – parvovirus, adenovirus, distempervirus) has been subject to some variation in vaccination recommendations in recent years, with the development of newer vaccine products; and more recently, a growing public phobia of vaccines. Traditionally, the standard recommendation was an annual vaccination booster for any of the available brands of C3 vaccines. However, there are CERTAIN vaccines for C3 now available and registered for a three-yearly vaccination program. The key word here is “registered”, which means that the product has been clinically tested to scientifically demonstrate both safety AND effectiveness (efficacy) when used according to the recommendation on the label. It also means that the manufacturer of the vaccine will accept liability in the case that the vaccine did not provide adequate protection. Using a registered 1-year vaccine product as a three-yearly vaccine is called “off-label” or “extra-label” and does not carry the assurance that the vaccine will actually be protective over that whole 3-year period. It is best to discuss with your vet about which vaccine options are available to you in your area.
All of the three viruses that the C3 vaccine protects against are deadly, extremely difficult and costly ($1000s) to treat, with no guaranteed survival even with intensive treatment, and often result in heartbreak for the family of the pet, and for the vet who has to watch an animal die despite their best attempts to save it. This is why you will find that all vets recommend vaccination against these viruses. It isn’t to make money, as the internet will have you believe. Vaccines cost owners less than 5% of the cost to treat parvovirus, so it would be a pretty stupid way to try to get rich. You’ll find that vets would just rather not have to see another sick dog die from such horrible, but preventable diseases.
In the case of an owner who is extremely concerned of vaccinating their dog, or a (rare) dog that has previously had a vaccine reaction, vaccination titre tests are also now available. These test the level of antibody in the blood stream, to help predict if the dog is currently protected by a previous vaccine, or not. Unfortunately, there are no scientific studies to date that indicate what level of titre is required to indicate that a dog is protected (immune). So, you will get a result, but that number won’t tell you what will happen if the dog is exposed to the virus. The other downside is that these tests are relatively expensive to run and may not be available in some locations. But it is certainly something you can discuss with your vet, if you are not concerned about paying the extra for testing.
The prevalence of disease may also affect vaccination recommendations in a given location, since the risk of exposure and infection is higher in some areas that in others. For example, some towns are known to be “hot spots” for parvovirus, due to low vaccination rates, and a high number of unvaccinated dogs mixing. Disease outbreaks are another situation when the risk of infection is higher than average. Consequently, the recommended frequency in “Town A” and surrounds may be higher than in “Town G” and “Town M”.
Herd immunity. This is basically when a certain frequency of immunity is required in a population to provide protection across all members of that population. The typical frequency required for this is usually high (>70%) but even higher for diseases that are highly pathogenic or highly contagious. When the level of vaccination drops in the community, it puts the entire population at risk of outbreaks and results in large amounts of virus/bacteria in the environment. Some members of the population cannot be vaccinated due to genuine reasons such as age (eg. newborns, geriatric), or problems with the immune system, and they rely on those healthy enough to do their bit for the team. This goes for both dogs and humans.
Human health. Some health recommendations for pets take also into account the risk of disease to humans. Zoonotic diseases are those that can transmit from animals to humans and cause disease. The best example of this would be rabies, which is deadly in both animals and people, and is transmitted through bites and saliva. My understanding is that it is legally required to vaccinate dogs and cats yearly against rabies virus in some countries where it is endemic (widespread). This is to not only protect the pet from life-threatening disease, but to protect humans who would be at risk of death if the pet becomes infected. Because, legally, human health often has to take precedence over animal health, an unvaccinated pet that bites a human may be required by law to be euthanised and their brain submitted to a lab for rabies testing. This is a very unfortunate, and sadly not uncommon, consequence for both the pet and the owner who has chosen not to follow vaccination recommendations.
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We often think of giving a pet (or human) a preventative injection as "vaccination", to protect against viruses.
However, pets are also the victims of much larger parasites, such as heartworm. An annual injection is available which provides good protection against heartworm. You can also get formulations as a monthly pill, or 3-monthly pill.
See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirofilaria_immitis#Prevention
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Is that not amazing! It's like a Genie coming out of a lamp with just the answer you wished for! Thanks @SquarishTriangle !
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We need to vaccinate dogs every year because they can contract a large number of illnesses. Dog medicine doesn't work the same way that human medicine does. It often contains vaccinations of at least several different diseases. the effects also wear off within a year.