As a responsible pet owner, there are many important decisions to make regarding your dog’s health and well-being. Proper vaccinations are a key component of any pet’s healthcare plan, and understanding the timeline for different shots is essential for keeping your furry friend healthy. One particularly important question pet owners may have is how long do dog vaccines really last? It’s not always clear when your pet needs to come in for a booster shot, and the answer will vary based on the type of vaccine and the age of your pup. In this blog post we will explore the world of dog vaccinations and uncover the essential facts that every pet owner needs to know.
Other Immunologists Agree
Another prominent immunologist, Ian Tizard BVMS ACVM ScD PhD authored the standard textbook on Veterinary Immunology. 1998 research by Tizard states:
Why do veterinarians adhere to this pointless schedule when, in plain English, more vaccinations do not increase your pet’s immunity?
Minimum Duration Of Immunity For Canine Vaccines
Here’s the minimum duration of immunity for common vaccines. (Challenge denotes that the researchers subjected the animal to the illness, and serology denotes that they determined the animal’s blood antibody levels.) ).
Parvovirus is transmissible after 7 years by challenge and 15 years by serology, while Adenovirus is transmissible after 7 years by challenge and 9 years by serology. Canine rabies is transmissible after 3 years by challenge and 7 years by serology.
Dr Schultz concluded …
And yet many vets continue to vaccinate annually. Even dog owners consider themselves fortunate if their veterinarians only administer vaccinations every three years rather than every year. This information has been accessible for about 30 years, so why do we permit it? And researchers have replicated the studies time and again.
The AAHA Response
This information generated a lot of controversy when we first published it. Additionally, the American Animal Hospital Association took notice of us. Their PR Manager responded to the article publicly. Here’s part of his response:
Consequently, let’s examine the background of the AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines. You can then assess how much (or little) they have changed since then. ”.
All vaccines were licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in the 1970s, with the exception of the rabies vaccine.
On challenge studies carried out just a few weeks to a few months after vaccination, they based their recommendations. So they didn’t know how long immunity really lasted. Field research revealed that both natural infection and vaccination resulted in long-lasting immunity.
But in any case, the phrase “Annual Revaccination Recommended” appeared on the labels of every vaccine. ’’ So vets vaccinated yearly.
Dr. Ronald Schultz and others questioned this practice in the middle of the 1970s. So they began doing their research into vaccine DOI. Here was their 1978 recommendation ….
Dr. Schultz therefore thought that revaccination every three years was sufficient even back then, more than 40 years ago.
The AAHA established the AAHA Canine Vaccine Task Force as a result of the DOI research.
They evaluated the data from challenge and serological studies. The core vaccines had a minimum DOI of at least 7 years, according to a 2003 report. Nevertheless, they stated that a booster shot every three years is considered protective. ”.
Dr. Richard Ford, a task force participant, described the recommendation for a 3-year revaccination schedule for core vaccines as a compromise. “It’s completely arbitrary,” he said. I will state that the three-year recommendation is not supported by science. ”.
The following information for veterans reflects the Task Force’s explicit acknowledgment of their compromise:
Dr Schultz continued with his work. He had conducted 7 additional DOI studies on more than 1,000 dogs by 2006. He’d achieved the same results over and over again. Dogs had protection for much longer than three years, and most likely for the rest of their lives, according to the research.
In fact, Dr. Schultz was so confident in his research that he only gave his own dogs one dose of each of the three diseases—distemper, parvo, and adenovirus—and then stopped. That’s it … “one and done. ”.
In order to reflect a longer DOI, manufacturers changed the vaccine labels in 2006 As a result, the AAHA changed its recommendations for core vaccines regarding revaccination in 2007 from “revaccination every 3 years is considered protective” to “revaccination every 3 years or more is considered protective.” ”.
Dr. Schultz persisted in his research and consistently repeated his findings. And research increasingly showed the harmful effects of vaccines. This didn’t escape the AAHA’s notice.
The AAHA added this clarification after “every 3 years or more” in 2011.
“All commercially available [core] vaccines are expected to induce a sustained protective immune response lasting at least 5 years in healthy dogs,” the statement reads. thereafter. ”.
But still vets push 3-year vaccines. And here’s where the AAHA is today.
The current Guideline (in 2021) is from 2017. The AAHA appears to be stuck on not extending the window for booster shots.
“Administer subsequent boosters at intervals of 3 yr or longer.”
They don’t even have the comment about 5-year protection anymore. But they do now contemplate doing titers instead of vaccinating. They also provided some titer-related information in addition to this statement.
A reasonable evaluation of protective immunity against CDV, CPV, and CA can be made by measuring antibody levels (qualitative or quantitative). ”.
And the Remarks include these words …
“MLV and Recombinant Core vaccines will provide a sustained protective response lasting beyond 3 yr. following completion of the Initial Vaccination series and the initial booster dose.” ”.
The AAHA recommendations are still so tentative even now, decades after research showed that most vaccines are effective for life. What might prevent the AAHA from issuing more forceful statements or establishing more forceful enforcement guidelines?
The answer may lie in their sponsors. In 2021 their sponsors are 3 major vaccine manufacturers: Boehringer Ingelheim USA Inc., Merck Animal Health, and Zoetis. And of course, the veterinary members of the task force also have a vested financial interest in more frequent vaccination.
This seems to be a conflict of interest that might skew the task force’s recommendations.
It certainly looks like there’s been a lot of compromise. And the problem with compromise is that nobody really wins. Especially not dogs.
Annual vaccination began without any scientific evidence to support it. Dogs deserve better than this, so why is the AAHA still stuck at 3 years when research indicates that core vaccines have a DOI of at least 7 years? The health of our dogs may be the most crucial compromise up until the AAHA stops making concessions and catches up with the most recent vaccine efficacy research.
FAQ
Do dog vaccinations last longer than a year?
Your dog will require a booster shot for the majority of advised vaccinations one year after their initial puppy vaccination series. Afterward, veterinarians typically recommend boosters once every three years. Research demonstrates that most dogs do not experience any negative side effects from booster vaccinations.
Do dogs really need yearly vaccinations?
The short answer: yes. Regular vaccinations significantly improve your dog’s defenses against deadly diseases like distemper.
Do dog vaccines wear off?
Expired Vaccinations Because vaccines do not last indefinitely, you must bring your dog back to the doctor for additional shots every year. Vaccines lose effectiveness over time. Your dog may once more become ill with the disease the vaccination was meant to prevent once the vaccine wears off.
How long does a dog rabies shot really last?
Even though all 50 States recognize 3-year rabies vaccines, some State municipalities still demand annual or biannual rabies revaccinations (3). This is despite the fact that virtually all United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) licensed rabies vaccines have a minimum 3-year duration.