Annual Vaccinations in Pets - Are they Really Necessary

Does Your Pet Need the Needle?
Moira Drosdovech, Pawsitive Veterinary Care
"Almost without exception there is no immunologic requirement for annual revaccination. Immunity to viruses persists for years or for the life on the animal. Furthermore, revaccination with most viral vaccines fails to stimulate an amnestic (secondary response) as a result of interference by existing antibody. The practice of annual (pet) vaccinations lacks scientific validity or verification. The practice of annual vaccination in our opinion should be considered of questionable efficacy unless it is used as a mechanism to provide an annual physical examination."
-- Professors Tom Phillips and Ron Schultz, "Canine and Feline Vaccines," Kirk's Current Veterinarian Therapy XI
What else needs to be said about vaccinations in pets? The above statement sums it up in an unambiguous manner and has been quoted very often in the last 8-10 years since it was printed. Since that time, there have been many advisory panels in various veterinary associations convened to discuss pet vaccinations, resulting in various recommendations. Articles and commentaries have been printed about the merits of annually vaccinating or not in national journals and studies indicating the possibility and reality of adverse reactions linked to vaccines have been published. Many veterinarians in the last decade have begun questioning whether over-vaccination, while not yet validated scientifically, may be causing a good deal of unnecessary chronic illness in our pets. What is a pet guardian to do?
My position is that, in general, we do over-vaccinate beyond what is necessary to provide adequate disease protection in dogs and cats. I also feel, as do many veterinarians, that some, not all by any means, of the chronic problems we see on a daily basis, including the likes of seizures, allergies, chronic GIT upsets, immune-mediated diseases, and others, may be triggered by vaccinations. This is not to say that without vaccinating, we would no longer see these illnesses. We would. The question is would we see less? I think so. So there is a trade-off. We should continue to vaccinate for the most severe and prevalent illnesses that we have vaccines for in order to prevent the acute illnesses that can kill or permanently damage pets, but we should only vaccinate to produce adequate immunity and we should only do so once the pet’s guardian is fully informed of the potential risks associated with this potent medical procedure and the risks associated with not vaccinating at all or vaccinating only occasionally, if at all, beyond adolescence.
In general, holistic veterinarians have some strong, albeit not uncommon, views on pet vaccines. I must emphasize that these views are not shared by all. Amongst these views is that the first thing that must change is the myth that vaccines are harmless. Many veterinarians and animal guardians have to come to realize that they are not protecting animals from disease by annual vaccinations, but in fact, might be destroying the health and immune systems of these same animals they love and care for.
According to publication such as prominent veterinary journals, clients should be informed about vaccine use and their relative benefits and risks. There are legal and professional reasons to adequately inform clients about the vaccines practitioners use in their patients. They also should understand that vaccination does not guarantee protection and they should be informed about the potential adverse effects of vaccines. In other words, an informed decision is necessary.
Perhaps a few more quotes should be read to become a little more informed:
Based on the lack of scientific evidence to support the current practice of annual vaccination and increasing documentation showing that over-vaccinating has been associated with harmful side effects, Colorado State University has adopted three-year vaccination program, as have most of the veterinary teaching institutions. According to the CSU published protocols, of particular note in regards to harmful side effects has been the association of autoimmune hemolytic anemia with vaccination of dogs and vaccine-associated sarcomas in cats -- both of which are often fatal.

My object with this article is not to discuss whether vaccinations are effective in preventing disease. I believe they do work to prevent acute diseases most of the time. I also believe they are capable of “grafting” on to the vaccinated individual a debilitating range of chronic problems while causing life-threatening reactions in others. So, yes indeed, you do put your pet’s health at risk each time it is given an unnecessary vaccination.
It requires a paradigm shift to entertain the notion that vaccines may play a role in some pets’ health problems and that all animals do not react the same to vaccines. Thus, it is the safety of vaccines that is at issue.
Blood tests, known as titre tests, can be done any time to measure circulating antibodies and, while they do not guarantee protection, they do confirm that your pet’s immune system has responded to either vaccinations or natural infection. Although there is controversy regarding what level constitutes adequate protection, my stance is that any level of antibody indicates that memory cells of the immune system are active and boostering is unlikely to be necessary in most cases. These tests are by no means suggested every year, but can be a helpful tool to guide re-vaccination decisions.
Most, if not all, veterinary schools as well as most of the major veterinary associations have been recommending the three year vaccine protocol for several years. There is even a 3-year vaccine licensed for use in dogs that has been available for over a year now. This is good news for pets. Personally, I feel even a 3 year interval is too frequent, but that is based only my experience, not scientific studies, and it is up to you to do your own research and discuss the issues with your veterinarian.
I cannot emphasize enough that any pet receiving a vaccination should be 100% healthy and it should be noted that all vaccines are tested in and recommended for healthy animals. This means vaccinating pets with health problems, including diseases in “remission” such as skin diseases, cancer, thyroid problems, to name a few, is akin to vaccinating ‘off label’ and may possibly lead to unexpected reactions. In my opinion, any pets with a history of allergies, cancer, seizures or autoimmune disease should not undergo vaccinations unless absolutely necessary.
Annual checkups are important to maintain and will help pick up on health concerns before they become a big problem. If vaccines are recommended, don’t forget to ask about safety issues and studies to show they are needed. Ask about the blood test mentioned earlier. Do your own research and come to your own conclusions. Remember, medicine is always in a state of change.
[The information contained in this article is the opinion of the writer and should not be taken in place of a visit to your veterinarian.]