Pros and Cons of Pet Vaccinations: A Balanced View

About Misconceptions Regarding Vaccinations

1. Not All Pets Need Vaccinations

2. Vaccines Can Make Animals Sick

3. Vaccines Are Ineffective

Core Vaccinations: A significant portion of core vaccines are legally mandated to prevent public health diseases, highly contagious illnesses, and severe diseases that pose a threat. These core vaccines offer low risk and high rewards for the overall animal population.

Noncore Vaccinations: These are recommended only for animals with specific health risks, as they may be in areas with unique conditions or within particular groups. The use of noncore vaccines should involve a comparison of the risks associated with the vaccine against the risks of the pet contracting the disease.

"My puppy got parvovirus after being vaccinated. It's like the vaccine made the dog sick."

Vaccinations are crucial for young animals, as they are more susceptible to infections and diseases. Although it is rare, modified live vaccines can indeed cause illness in a few cases, but the interference from maternal antibodies is more common. This is why young animals need to be vaccinated repeatedly. The vaccine's effectiveness depends on maternal antibodies being reduced to a certain level, which typically varies and usually occurs around 8 to 16 weeks, depending on the mother's immune history and the process of transferring maternal antibodies through colostrum.

Unfortunately, maternal antibodies can be so high that they block the vaccineinduced immune response, preventing the animal from being protected through active infection. This could be why young animals still contract infectious diseases despite vaccination.

"My dog was vaccinated last year and still got sick. The vaccine didn't work."

Vaccines have been widely used in humans for over 200 years and in companion animals for 50 years, effectively controlling the spread of many major infectious diseases. The purpose of vaccination is to provide animals with a certain level of immunity against infectious diseases.

A more common misconception is the misunderstanding of the term "kennel cough," where some people equate it with bronchitis caused by Bordetella bronchiseptica, thus believing that the vaccine did not provide adequate protection for their pets.

In our clinical practice, we often hear pet owners ask: "How can our cat/dog, who never goes outside, get infected with a disease?"

Viruses can spread in various ways. Just because we humans come and go in and out of houses doesn't guarantee that our shoes haven't been contaminated with dried urine or vomit from infected animals. If brought into the home, dogs and cats can easily contract diseases by sniffing or touching these substances and then licking them off their fur into their mouths. The cost of treatment is far greater than the cost of vaccination, so parents, please take responsibility for your furry children!

"Good news doesn't travel far, but bad news spreads like wildfire." The myth that vaccines are dangerous spreads quickly, while the benefits of vaccines in protecting against diseases spread more slowly. Clinical veterinarians need to continuously learn and educate our clients about the purpose of pet vaccinations and explain why they are vital for animal health!