Manufacturers release vaccine programs

Denver-Two major manufacturers unveiled vaccine programs/positions at the recently concluded American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) meeting here to answer questions on the issue of vaccination frequency.

The two positions are in direct response to the canine vaccination guidelines released earlier this year by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA).

Fort Dodge Animal Health's and Merial's programs are designed to help veterinarians make decisions about vaccination practices, the companies say.

Merial

Merial recently unveiled vaccine charts for both dogs and cats that offer "suggested vaccination protocols based on the individual lifestyle and the risks associated with that lifestyle."

The company adds that ultimately veterinarians are in the best position to make the final determination about vaccination frequency.

According to Merial, the charts, which were created by Dr. Craig E. Greene, of the University of Georgia, will help veterinarians make educated decisions when choosing a vaccine protocol that is best for a particular patient by assessing a patient's risk for acquiring infectious disease. The charts call on veterinarians to consider age, physical condition, general health status, geographic location, history and lifestyle as part of an assessment of disease risk.

For felines, five classification stages have been introduced including: outdoor enthusiast, outdoor socialite, indoor socialite, indoor elitist and indoor window watcher. With each lifestyle classification, the company also recommends a vaccine schedule.

Dr. Roger Wakelin, executive director of North American companion animal marketing for Merial, says, "The AAHA guidelines helped to open the lines of communication among veterinary professionals and industry leaders and that can be good for the overall health of the industry, not to mention companion animals. Merial has taken a leadership position on this issue by creating suggested vaccination protocols and supporting veterinarians," he adds.

Whether veterinarians follow a three-year vaccine protocol or remain with an annual vaccination protocol, Merial will continue to support veterinarians in their decisions, says Dr. Zack Mills, executive director of veterinary professional services for Merial.

"What we will do is give you the tools to work with your clients," he says.

Those tools will come in the form of client education materials, staff training resources, risk assessment and record-keeping aids.

Mills adds that veterinarians have been asking for the company to respond.

"Only the doctor sitting in front of that patient knows the history, knows what is going on in their areas of the country. Only he or she can pull all of this lifestyle information together to make the best decision for the patient."

Mills adds, "This is a medical decision for veterinarians. They have to look at why I'm vaccinating this animal this way and what antigens I'm giving to this animal."

Here are some details on Merial's lifestyle considerations:

• Outdoor Enthusiast: Much of the time outdoors running unrestrained; unsupervised roaming and/or supervised, hunting fieldwork.

Required vaccinations: Distemper, adenovirus-2, parvovirus, parainfluenza, rabies, leptospirosis, bordetellosis, coronavirus, Lyme disease.

• Outdoor Socialite: Some of the time outdoors, may come into contact with unknown dogs on a periodic basis.

Required vaccinations: Distemper, adenovirus-2, parvovirus, parainfluenza, rabies, leptospirosis, bordetellosis. Optional: coronavirus, Lyme.

• Indoor Socialite: Multi-dog household, mostly indoors or confined but frequent contact with other known dogs through feeding, elimination, boarding, showing.

Required vaccinations: Distemper, adenovirus-2, parvovirus, parainfluenza, rabies, bordetellosis. Optional: coronavirus, Lyme.

• Indoor Elitist: One or two dog household. Indoors mostly, but comes into contact with unknown dogs by occasional escape.

Required vaccinations: Distemper, adenovirus-2, parvovirus, parainfluenza, rabies, bordetellosis. Optional: coronavirus, Lyme.

• Indoor Pampered Pooch: Strictly indoor dog and never comes into contact with other dogs.

Required: distemper, adenovirus-2, parvovirus, rabies, parainfluenza. Optional: coronavirus, bordetellosis.

Fort Dodge Animal Health

Fort Dodge Animal Health recently unveiled its new educational campaign entitled, "Responsible Healthcare for Pets."

The campaign is designed to help educate pet owners about the importance of vaccination and assist veterinarians in reviewing the data on vaccination protocols.

The kit includes a technical guide, a poster, a wall plaque, a pet owner brochure and risk assessment forms.

Fort Dodge reports that the brochure includes a list of today's disease threats, frequently asked questions on vaccine administration, the safety of vaccines and the frequency of vaccination.

The risk assessment form will determine the background of information necessary to develop an appropriate vaccination protocol for each individual pet, the company explains.

Dr. Stephen A. Connell, vice president of professional and technical service for Fort Dodge Animal Health, says, "Pet owners rely on their veterinarians to keep pets healthy. It is the job of all veterinarians to make medical decisions based on sound research and professional judgment. This program provides the tools to help veterinarians make informed medical decisions for each pet."

Connell adds in a statement, "It is vitally important that pet owners understand the concept of risk-assessment and continue to receive their pets' vaccinations and physical exams as appropriate."

As part of the program, Fort Dodge also sponsored an evening program on the topic entitled, "Vaccine Use in Practice: Considering the Science." Guest speakers included Dr. Mattie Hendricks of the University of Pennsylvania on "Feline vaccine-associated sarcomas: historical review and current recommendations;" Dr. Philip H. Kass, University of California-Davis, "What we can say–and not say–about the epidemiology of vaccine-associated sarcomas;" Dr. James A. Roth, Iowa State University, "Adjuvants in veterinary vaccines: modes of action to enhance the immune response and potential adverse effects;" and Dr. John Ellis, of the University of Saskatchewan, "A perspective on changes in vaccine protocols."

Hendricks, professor of pathology at the University of Pennsylvania, says, "Vaccination is a medical procedure and probably should be individualized to the patient." Hendricks, whose research has focused on feline vaccine-associated sarcomas, reports that sarcomas have not gone away.

"Until we discover an effective treatment, prevention and management of these cases should remain a clear priority," she says.

While officials add that sarcomas are still relatively rare, they do occur. Kass adds that pinpointing a cause for the sarcomas is also elusive.

Ellis on the other hand, has been an outspoken critic of changing vaccination protocols to a three-year schedule as recommended in the AAHA guidelines.

He believes that companion animal veterinarians should think of immunity on a herd-level rather than individual animals. In other words, if sarcomas are relatively rare, epidemiologically it's a small price to pay to maintain herd immunity.

Ellis says that historically, annual administration of vaccines has all but wiped out many infectious diseases in companion animals. He contends that if the system isn't broken, don't fix it.

Part of Fort Dodge's educational materials include 10 disease risk factors to consider including:

• Where the pet lives

• Age of the animal

• Pets that go outdoors

• Prevalence of mosquitoes and/or ticks in the area.

• Pets that travel

• Pets that are not spayed or neutered

• Pets that drink from standing water outdoors.

• Pets that go to a groomer, boarding facility, or dog or cat shows.

• Pets used for hunting

• Dogs that miss a dose of monthly heartworm preventive by more than 45 days.

Fort Dodge adds that vaccination is the best way to prepare a pet's immune system to stop infection when the real disease strikes, and the benefits of vaccination greatly outweigh the risks.