The American Animal Hospital Association has put out its long-awaited vaccine guidelines for dogs and the latest DVM magazine has a good summary of the guidelines:
The new categories are an attempt to segregate the vital vaccines from the more discretionary, according to the taskforce. The core vaccines, of which there are four, are to be administered triennially. These are vaccines to prevent against high-risk, highly contagious and potentially fatal diseases. Noncore vaccines, to be administered under the discretion of the veterinarian, would follow an annual schedule.
The core vaccines are: rabies; canine parvovirus vaccine; canine adenovirus-2 (hepatitis vaccine); and distemper vaccines and are to be administered every three years. See the table top right for more details - click on the picture to enlarge if you don't have a microscope to read it!
The guidelines are slightly controversial in that the guidelines suggest vaccinating less frequently for the core vaccines since they last longer than was once thought but there may be some resistance to the new timeframe since vets won't be getting the revenue stream from the vaccines they used to have. Having said that, dogs and cats still need regular check ups so it's not like the pet won't be coming into the clinic at all.
