There seems to be much controversy about how often pets should be vaccinated. The typical vaccines are annual, or with puppies, there are several vaccines over several weeks, then annually. There seems to now be a trend in giving some or most vaccines every three years, or after giving an initial treatment not giving the vaccine again. Vets seem to be in two opposing groups. There is also one smaller group that does not believe in vaccines at all.
Old School Annual Vaccines
This group of vets still believes in annual vaccines. The recommendation on the vaccine bottle says it is effective for a year. This lessens their liability. Also, there is not much actual published information about administering vaccines less frequently. Vaccines have always been done this way, and the diseases have decreased, so why change something that works?
There are also some vaccinations that do not provide a full year of protection: Bacterial Vaccines for Leptospirosis, Bordetellosis, and maybe Lyme disease. These vaccinations are given according to the concentration of the diseases in your area. If your area is at a high risk, these maybe given more often than once a year.
Three-Year Intervals
There are several reasons given by vets who believe in lengthening the time between Vaccinations in County Durham to every three years. Even though there are no formally published studies about changing the vaccination schedules, there are many studies and literature that is ‘public’ online and available for viewing.
These vets believe that due to some dogs having adverse reactions to vaccinations, sometimes at the time they receive the vaccine or several weeks after, offering vaccines less often seems logical. There is not enough information that proves how long vaccines actually do last. There is good evidence that they last much longer than a year. There is also not a strict production guideline, so some vaccines may cause different reactions and have different life cycles.
Some Vets believe it is Acceptable to Go Much Longer Between Vaccinations
Some unpublished studies are available that support longer intervals between vaccinations. Parvovirus vaccine may provide lifetime protection, and distemper vaccine protects for five to seven years. It is very likely that other vaccinations would also protect animals for longer periods. Many of these vets believe in treating their patients on a case-by-case basis, according to the location, the animal’s reactions to vaccines, etc.
There is a small minority of vets that do not believe in any vaccinations, stating that they are all bad. There is not much information or reasoning for this approach. The best approach for pet owners is to talk to your vet and find out what his opinion is about vaccination schedules. You as the pet owner have the final decision about when and where to vaccinate your pets.
