History of Vaccines and Vaccination:

 Edward Jenner's demonstration of cross-protection between cowpox and human

smallpox in 1796 paved the way for research in human and veterinary vaccinology.
 Vaccination played a crucial role in eradicating human smallpox in 1979 and rinderpest in
ruminants in 2011.
 Small companion animal vaccination history is shorter, with significant advancements in
the mid-20th century.
Immunology of Vaccination:

 Active immunization involves administering an antigen to induce an active immune

response and persistent immunological memory.

 Different vaccines trigger various immune responses, including effector immune

responses to infectious agents, cancer antigen responses, and suppressive immune
responses to allergens.

 Vaccine delivery replicates the natural host immune response, with protective immunity
differing based on the organism, route of entry, and disease pathogenesis.

Epidemiology of Vaccination:
 Herd immunity emphasizes that increased vaccination coverage in a population makes it
harder for infections to spread.
 Canine rabies vaccination, for instance, has been critical in protecting human and animal
populations from the disease.
Types of Vaccines:
 Vaccines can be classified as infectious (live attenuated) or noninfectious (inactivated or
subunit).
 Recombinant vectored and naked DNA vaccines are newer types produced using
molecular techniques.
 Vaccine delivery methods include subcutaneous injection, intranasal, oral, and needle-
free percutaneous routes.
Vaccine Licensing:

 Veterinary vaccines undergo rigorous regulatory procedures to ensure safety, efficacy,

and high-quality production.

 Efficacy testing involves challenge studies to demonstrate protection against infections

or diseases.
Adverse Events Following Vaccination:
 Vaccination has significantly improved animal health, but rare adverse events can occur.
 Various adverse events are recognized, ranging from mild and transient to severe and
life-threatening.
 Vaccination's benefits far outweigh the risks of adverse events.

Changes in Vaccination Practice:

 Veterinary profession established guidelines for vaccination to ensure safety and
efficacy.
 Guidelines classify vaccines as core (essential) and noncore (optional) based on disease
prevalence and individual risk.
 Core vaccines for dogs include CDV, CAV, CPV, and rabies; vaccination schedules for
puppies and adult dogs are discussed.
 Serological testing is an option for assessing immunity in adult dogs, reducing the need
for automatic revaccination.
 Rabies vaccination guidelines and challenges are also discussed.
 Noncore Vaccination for Dogs:

 Noncore vaccines for dogs include protection against pathogens causing canine
infectious respiratory disease (CIRD) complex and leptospirosis.

 CIRD vaccines are available in injectable, intranasal, and oral formulations.

 Leptospirosis vaccines are noninfectious multivalent vaccines with varying serogroups.
 Vaccination protocols for noncore vaccines are based on risk assessment.
 Not Recommended Vaccines for Dogs:
 Canine enteric coronavirus (CCoV) and Giardia vaccines are generally not recommended.

 CCoV causes mild gastrointestinal disease, and Giardia infection is of low prevalence and
non-life-threatening.

 Core Vaccination for Cats:

 Core vaccines for cats include protection against FPV, FHV1, FCV, and rabies.
 Core vaccines are available as trivalent combinations, noninfectious killed or modified
live viral vaccines.
 Vaccination of kittens follows a schedule starting at 8-9 weeks of age with revaccination
within the first year.
 Adult cats can receive triennial FPV revaccination based on antibody presence.
 FHV1 and FCV revaccination depends on exposure risk, and rabies vaccination follows
legal requirements.
 Noncore Vaccination for Cats:

 Noncore vaccines for cats include FeLV, Chlamydia felis, Bordetella bronchiseptica, and
FIV.

 FeLV vaccines are available as killed whole virus, subunit, and recombinant viral vectored
products.

 Chlamydia felis vaccines are used in multicat groups with infectious or noninfectious
options.
 Bordetella bronchiseptica vaccine is an infectious intranasal product.
 FIV vaccine is contentious due to cross-protection concerns and interferes with
diagnosis.
 FIV vaccine is adjuvanted and requires multiple injections.
 Delivery of Vaccination:
 Vaccination guidelines recommend changing the concept of annual veterinary visits from
"vaccine boosters" to "annual health checks."
 Emphasis should be on discussing overall health and well-being rather than just
vaccines.