Why is there a need to vaccinate?
The current low incidence of diseases such as Distemper and Feline Panleucopaenia is principally due to pet owners having their pets routinely vaccinated. Vaccination is necessary in order to provide protection against life threatening disease such as Distemper, Feline Leukaemia Virus, and Parvovirus. Furthermore, vaccination is the only proven method of protecting against these diseases; there is no specific cure for them and treatment may not only be unsuccessful but also extremely expensive.

Why do boosters have to be given; people don't get boostered, so why do pets?
None of the above diseases have yet been eradicated and cases of all three disease are still reported. A pet is thus always at risk of potential exposure to one of them if it goes out or comes into contact with other cats or dogs. Immunity is also neither lifelong or of the same duration in every animal.

Annual booster vaccination is an effective way of "topping up" a dog's  immunity thereby minimising the risk of disease when challenged by natural infection. Some human vaccines are in fact boosted where there is an increased risk of exposure, for example vaccination against 'flu or polio.

My pet is so old it's not worth vaccinating.
Elderly animals, like elderly people, start to lose the ability to combat infection. They are like the young and need more help to protect themselves, hence we recommend continuing to vaccinate elderly pets, just like older people are recommended to have 'flu vaccinations.

I have heard vaccines can cause side effects. Is this true?
Serious side effects following vaccinations are extremely rare. Although all veterinary vaccines undergo thorough, independent evaluation of their safety, efficacy and quality, it is impossible to guarantee that any product will be safe and effective in every individual case. It must be remembered, though, that the very small risk of vaccine side effect is greatly outweighed by the benefit of protection against serious disease. Remember that statistically, any illness has a 1 in 12 chance of occurring within one month of vaccination, and this facts leads to many anecdotal reports of vaccine side effects.

Homeopathic vaccines - what about them?
The main concern most vets have about their use is that there is no proper independent evidence to show that they work in protecting pets by preventing disease. Indeed, the few properly designed trials that have been carried out by using homeopathic nosodes have shown no evidence of protection. Without evidence of effectiveness, homeopathic nosodes may pose far greater risk to dogs by leaving them susceptible to disease.

What are 'live' vaccines and why are they used?
As the name suggests, these vaccines contain live strains which have been specially modified to prevent them from causing disease, thereby ensuring safety for the vaccinated animals as well as for unvaccinated 'in-contact' animals. Live vaccines give a rapid onset of protection, usually only requiring one dose for the primary course; they provide better stimulation of the immune system and give longer lasting protection.

Company literature says that only healthy pets should be vaccinated; why is this and what are the risks to unhealthy pets?
To get the full benefit of a vaccine it is important that the pet is healthy which is why it is essential that your vet carries out a health examination before vaccinating your pet. When faced with an animal with long-term disease such as heart disease or diabetes, most vets will advise that vaccination should be continued. There is no evidence that such animals fail to respond or are at greater risk of problems.

Do vaccines affect different breeds in different ways?
There are no breed-specific contraindications for any of the vaccines currently on the market. Despite this, some breeders occasionally suggest that one or other of the live vaccine components affects their particular breed. When such reports are investigated the information appears to be purely anecdotal and incapable of substantiation.

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