Jenny's Jottings: Vaccination

The subject of vaccination has frequently been in the media for both animals and people. How important is vaccination? How often are boosters needed? What about the side effects? Numerous issues have been raised and I would like to cover some of these today.

I believe that vaccinating pets is incredibly important. Granted, not all animals need every vaccine available, but there are a number of diseases that every animal should be protected from. Every year, we lose animals to illness that could have been prevented. Some of these diseases such as parvovirus in dogs and ‘cat flu’ are more widespread than many people realise. Important vaccines are available for dogs, cats and even rabbits. Prevention is certainly better than cure.

So, how often do animals need boosters? The arguments surrounding this question have been intense. Part of the problem is that protecting antibodies last longer in some animals than they do in others. Another difficulty is that some animals are at greater risk of exposure to disease than others. And what about the old and the young who may suffer more severely? We need to make sure that every animal has enough protection despite this variation. It is generally thought that in order to give maximum protection, some diseases do require annual boosters.

The potential for vaccine side effects has concerned some people. Animals can experience adverse effects but they are usually very mild. For example, a little sleepiness can be expected on the day of vaccination. In actual fact, life threatening disease is much more common than a life threatening vaccine reaction.

Finally, another good reason for giving annual boosters is the health check. Heart conditions, lumps, dental disease and parasites are just a handful of the issues that are often identified during routine booster checks. Even the most vigilant owner could not be expected to detect a heart murmur and some people understandably will be nervous of peering into a mouth full of sharp pointy teeth!

As every year seems to fly by, it is easy to forget boosters. Have a little think… is your pet protected?

By Jenny Jones BVM&S MRCVS, vet at Borrajos veterinary clinics.