Advanced Veterinary Medicine and Veterinary Care

Animal Vaccines

vaccination has been one of the most important interventions in disease prevention that has ever been developed. In spite of the demonstrable, and ongoing, success of vaccination, a small, but vocal, anti-vaccination movement has developed in human medicine, occasionally buttressed by horrifying instances of adverse reactions. Veterinary medicine, vaccination has also proven to be a boon for animal health. Diseases such as canine parvovirus and canine distemper, feline leukemia, or equine tetanus, have been greatly reduced – in some cases, nearly eliminated – by vaccination. And, as in human medicine, a small, but vocal, anti-vaccination movement has developed, regaling fearful listeners with tales of acute harm, or chronic, low-grade disease (sometimes termed “vaccinosis”). In spite of the success of animal vaccination, genuine questions remain as to ideal intervals for booster vaccination. That is, although the effectiveness of vaccination can be shown by reduction in disease, as well as the occasional challenge study (where vaccinated animals are exposed to disease-causing organisms to see if they are protected), no one really knows the “optimum” interval for giving boosters of most animal vaccines.