Vaccine guidelines promised by the American Association of Feline Practitioners and the Academy of Feline Medicine1 have finally been completed. Following is a summary of the over 30-page document, and included is the "short" version of the guidelines. You and your veterinarian can use this guide to establish an appropriate and protective vaccine program for your cat household. The American Association of Feline Practitioners thanks and acknowledges Fort Dodge Animal Health for their financial sponsorship and their support of this project.
In January 1997, the Advisory Panel on Feline Vaccines of the American Association of Feline Practitioners and the Academy of Feline Medicine (the AAFP/AFM), established practice guidelines for vaccinating cats. Information was incorporated from an extensive literature search and presentations from respected members from a wide spectrum of disciplines in veterinary medicine.
Vaccines continue to play an important role in the control and prevention of feline infectious disease in an overall preventative health care program for cats. This committee sought to promote the understanding of and to provide guidance for the use of currently available feline vaccines.
It is impractical to recommend a standard vaccination program for all cats because the risk of acquiring a specific infection varies due to the age and health of the patient exposure to other cats, and geographic prevalence of disease. A comprehensive physical examination of each patient at least yearly is important to reassess its health and address possible lifestyle changes that could affect vaccine recommendations.
The ubiquitous nature and the seriousness of infection with feline panleukopenia (FPV), feline viral rhinotracheitis (FHV-1), feline calicivirus (FCV), and rabies justifies vaccinating all cats against these diseases. These vaccines will be referred to as CORE vaccines. Vaccines against chlamydiosis, FeLV, FIP, and ringworm will be called NON-CORE vaccines. Use of NON-CORE vaccines should be restricted to those cats with realistic risk of exposure to these pathogenic organisms.
Vaccines should be used in accordance with principles of immunology to allow for maximum protection against disease. Factors that affect the immune response to vaccines should be considered prior to vaccine administration. Though annual revaccination has been the professional standard, more recent information suggests that the duration of immunity (DOI) exceeds one year for many feline vaccines today. The panel recommends booster intervals for vaccines against FPV, FHV-1, and FCV every three years. Cats at high risk of exposure, such as those entering boarding facilities, or shown frequently at cat shows, may benefit from more frequent revaccination. DOI studies indicate that three-year rabies vaccines demonstrate effective immunity.
While vaccine administration is not an innocuous procedure, the benefits of vaccination far outweigh the risks for the majority of cats. Cats should continue to be vaccinated to prevent recrudescence of infectious diseases that we now control. The objective of feline vaccination protocols should be to vaccinate more cats in the population, vaccinate individuals less frequently, and only for the diseases for which there is a risk of exposure and disease.
Additional facts:
Use of multiple dose vials is discouraged, since inadequate mixing may result in unequal distribution of antigens and adjuvant. In addition, unless multi-dose vials are consumed when first opened, iatrogenic contamination is a significant risk.
Vaccine site recommendations should be followed in accordance with those established by the AAFP and the Vaccine Associated Feline Sarcoma Task Force. It is important to standardize vaccine sites.
Administration of vaccines more frequently than that recommended by the manufacturer is neither endorsed nor recommended. Administration of vaccines more frequently than every 21 days may attenuate immunological responses.
A routine physical examination is recommended prior to the administration of vaccines to cats. Patients in good health are the most likely to respond well to vaccination.
CORE vaccines should be administered to healthy FeLV and FIV infected cats. Killed virus vaccines are preferred for immunocompromised patients because of the potential risks for vaccine-induced infections with modified live virus vaccines.
Vaccinating cats receiving corticosteroid therapy is controversial. Depending on dose and duration, corticosteroids may cause functional suppression of immunity, particularly of cell-mediated immunity. Concurrent use of corticosteroids at the time of vaccination should be avoided if practical, but apparently corticosteroids do not result in ineffective immunization if short-term low to moderate dose regimens are used.
The actual risks associated with vaccination of pregnant cats are poorly documented. While the panel concluded that the risks of vaccinating pregnant queens are likely overstated and that there are circumstances when the benefits of vaccinating a pregnant queen outweigh the additional risks, the routine vaccination of pregnant cats should be avoided.
It is recommended that individuals administering vaccines record the following information in a permanent medical record of the patient: date the vaccine was administered, name of the person administering the vaccine, vaccine lot number or serial number, expiration date of the vaccine, name of the vaccine, vaccine manufacturer, and site of vaccine administration.
Credit : http://www.cfa.org/articles/health/vaccination-guidelines.html
