by Jill Mullen

Created on: October 28, 2008   Last Updated: August 08, 2009

As a working pet animal veterinarian, you may be a little surprised I am voting on the NO side!

But it is a No that comes with a few provisos. Don't confuse annual vaccination with an annual check up for your pet, especially as pets grow older. At least once a year it is well worth taking your pet for a full examination. This will vary a little depending on it's age, previous health problems, your budget and your vets individual assessment. At the very least it gives you an opportunity to discuss any worries you have, allow the vet to perform a full physical examination and then asses your pets individual need for booster vaccinations. Most people accept the value of primary vaccinations, as maternal immunity wanes vaccinations will provide your pet with a defense against infectious diseases when they are most susceptible. But ongoing vaccination may not be necessary if for example your pet's environment does not allow exposure to risk.

Take a cat that is kept exclusively indoors, has no direct contact and minimal indirect contact with other cats. Feline leukaemia virus requires close, often repeated contact to infect a mature individual so ongoing vaccination is superfluous. Feline 'aids' virus by contrast can be passed in a single bite wound. In the UK, rabies is not endemic and there is no routine vaccination against rabies unless you travel abroad with your pet! More and more vets don't vaccinate for all diseases annually anyway. Canine distemper virus and parvovirus vaccination will last a good 3 years after the primary course. What you may need to be aware of is that most cattery's and boarding kennels WILL require your pet to be vaccinated, and for good reason! Lots of pets, from varied backgrounds, all a little stressed and out of sorts with the change routine sharing airspace or exercise yards. How often have WE got off airline flight wondering if we'll get the cough or cold from the passenger 3 rows ahead of us?

All vaccination protocols are a balance of risk and benefit. All things we expose ourselves and our pets to have some risk, that includes vaccines. Some risks, like sarcoma do seem to have a direct link in that they occur in the scruff where vaccines will be injected. The exact reason may not be due to the vaccine per se, but to the act of injecting frequently in the same region. Anaphylaxis can occur after vaccination and is a serious, life threatening complication. It is exceedingly RARE and your vet will have the facilities to overcome its effects. Milder side effects such as fever are not as uncommon, but like our own malaise after vaccination are usually very transient. The benefits are protection against disease that in the un-vaccinated pet are commonly fatal.

Choose to vaccinate, or not vaccinate depending on individual needs. Balance a small risk against a big benefit from vaccination where it's needed. If you and your vet decide your pet has a low risk of disease, don't!

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