The American Animal Hospital Association released its 2011 Canine Vaccination Guidelines on Friday. The guidelines were originally created in 2003 and had not been updated since 2006. They offer a review of canine vaccines licensed in the U.S. and Canada, updated recommendations for core versus non-core vaccines, and revised recommendations for shelter-housed dogs. The task force responsible for developing the guidelines included experts in immunology, infectious diseases, internal medicine, law and clinical practice. Among the improvements for 2011 is a new Frequently Asked Questions section to address common questions posed to the task force by practicing veterinarians. The section is divided into four categories, including administration of vaccines, vaccine products, vaccine adverse events, and legal issues pertaining to vaccinations. Many of the questions included were derived from FAQ’s developed by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association’s Vaccine Guidelines Group. Other changes to the 2011 edition include updated recommendations on serologic testing, expanded discussion on vaccine adverse events, review of the legal implications associated with administering vaccines in clinical practice, and full consideration of both U.S. and Canadian canine vaccination regulations. “Having served on every AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines Task Force to date (2003, 2006, 2011), I am confident in saying that the 2011 guidelines are the most useful from the practitioner’s perspective,” said canine vaccine guidelines chairperson Link Welborn, DVM, DABVP. The guidelines were published in the September edition of the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association and can be found online here. <Home>
