Vaccination Management for Dogs
Sep 20, 2022
“Vaccinate as many dogs as possible, but only as often as necessary”—that is the motto of experts worldwide, such as the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) and the Standing Committee on Vaccination in Veterinary Medicine (StIKo Vet).
In light of this recommendation, current vaccination management in the veterinary field must be generally reevaluated and modernized. But how can this expert recommendation be implemented in practice, and how can it be used to establish a modern, holistic vaccination management system for dogs?
Vaccination Management for Dogs in Practice Discussions about the frequency of vaccinations are becoming increasingly heated in society. There is broad agreement that the need for the recommended vaccinations is generally undisputed and necessary. As many animals as possible should receive the core vaccines and develop sufficient immunity.
According to the WSAVA, core vaccines should not be administered more frequently than every three years after the initial vaccination series. Therefore, a booster vaccination should be administered no sooner than three years later. However, this applies only to animals that no longer have immune protection and for which a booster vaccination is therefore actually necessary.
The reason why not all animals need to be revaccinated after 3 years across the board is simple: the duration of immunity (DOI) spans many years and can last until the end of the animal’s life. Above all, according to the WSAVA, it is completely pointless to vaccinate animals more frequently than necessary in an attempt to increase antibody titers.
If immune protection is already present, administering booster shots too early will not increase antibody titers and thus will not provide any additional immune protection.
Based on this, modern vaccination management dictates that each individual animal should be vaccinated as infrequently as necessary. But how can this be implemented in practice?
First, it must be determined on a case-by-case basis whether the individual animal has sufficient immune protection. Current guidelines (such as those from the WSAVA) confirm that the presence of antibodies against parvovirus, distemper, and adenovirus—regardless of titer level—indicates protective immunity and immunological memory.
For these three parameters, the Vaccination Commission’s recommendation for individualized vaccination management in dogs can thus be implemented in practice by determining the presence of antibodies.
For the so-called antibody titer test, the dog’s individual antibody levels are measured in a blood sample. According to the WSAVA, vaccination against parvovirus, distemper, and adenovirus should only be administered if the titer test is negative. It should be noted here that only vaccinations against parvovirus and distemper are considered core vaccines.
Test first, then vaccinate! This is the conclusion reached by experts and should form the basis of modern vaccination management for dogs. With this strategy, the need for vaccination in each individual animal can be assessed directly in the veterinary practice.
The antibody titer test thus forms the basis for developing an individualized vaccination management plan and can be performed either directly in the veterinary practice using a rapid test within a few minutes, or a laboratory test can be requested.
To meet the demands of the experts from the vaccination commissions and to establish an individualized vaccination management plan, the pharmaceutical industry— as well as regulatory agencies, that all three vaccines must be available and approved individually so that veterinarians can implement the WSAVA’s recommendation in practice.
