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 VACCINATION:
What is vaccination?
Vaccination is the creation of protection in an individual against
specific infections. Vaccines are based on either weakened (attenuated)
forms of the natural infections or killed (inactivated) forms.
The vaccine is injected into the individual where it then fools
the body into believing that it has encountered the real infection.
This stimulates the immune system into producing antibodies
and activates protective white blood cells. The vaccine "primes"
the immune system to a stage where it is ready to jump into
action against specific infections and to overwhelm them when
it encounters them. Without vaccination, the delay in getting
the immune system into gear may be fatal. Vaccines are generally
designed to stimulate protection against those infections for
which we do not yet have effective medicines.
What vaccines are available for my cat?
There is an increasing number of vaccines for cats nowadays.
For over thirty years, we have been able to vaccinate against
the cat flu viruses (feline calicivirus and feline herpes virus
). We've also been protecting cats against a very serious form
of gastro-enteritis - the feline panleucopaenia virus . In more
recent years, we've been able to protect against one of the
viruses which causes cat AIDS - the feline leukaemia virus or
FeLV. We can also now protect against another little organism
called chlamydia, involved with upper respiratory and eye infections,
as well as subfertility in breeding animals Rabies vaccinations
were only routinely given to cats which were being exported
from this country to areas of risk but the new Pet Travel Scheme
will alter this situation. Manufacturers are working on the
development of vaccines against other fatal viral infections,
including feline infectious peritonitis or FIP virus and feline
immunodeficiency virus or FIV. A vaccine exists for FIP and
FIV exist in the United States, but are so far unavailable in
the UK.
When should I get my cat vaccinated?
Kittens usually obtain antibodies from their mother which provide
protection against infectious disease for the first few weeks
of life but these start to wear off leaving them open to infections.
This is when we want to step in with vaccination to help protect
the kitten. Kitten vaccination courses usually involve two sets
of vaccinations, the first at nine weeks of age, the second
at twelve. The kitten is then fully protected about a week after
the second part of the course. As immunity declines with time,
we advise annual booster vaccination to keep your cat up to
date with protection. It also gives us the opportunity to check
your cat for other health problems.
My cat lives entirely indoors- does it still need vaccination?
The advice is most definitely yes. Certain viruses - particularly
the enteritis virus - can persist for a considerable time outside
the body. There is always the possibility of introducing the
virus into your home on your shoes or clothing. Feline leukaemia
virus requires close contact for transmission, so an indoor
cat is not at risk. In addition, you should also consider the
possibility of your cat having to go into a cattery at short
notice. Reputable catteries will only accept vaccinated cats.
Are there any side effects to vaccination?
Vaccination stimulates the immune system, mimicking the natural
infection, so occasionally the cat will feel a little subdued
for a day or two after the injection. This is perfectly normal
and is nothing to be alarmed about. The killed inactivated vaccines
tend to cause reactions slightly more often than the live weakened
vaccines. Rarely, some individuals may have a more severe allergic
reaction within minutes or hours of receiving the injection.
These cats need urgent medical support. This reaction is, however,
VERY RARE.
Recent concern has been raised about the possible links between
vaccination and the development of a growth or tumour at the
injection site. This has been reported in the United States
and we are monitoring the situation in the UK. The FeLV vaccine
has been implicated in this but at present we don't know if
it is the trigger, or if some other aspect of injection or vaccination
is involved.
In human medicine there is a growing concern about the "over-vaccination"
of people, a topic which has spilled over into the animal world.
In feline medicine we are beginning to see the emergence of
views about the use of "core" and "non-core" vaccines. The core
vaccines are the flu and enteritis vaccines which are considered
to be essential for all cats. The non-core vaccines are the
ones which could be used only if the cat was in a situation
where it was considered to be at risk. These include vaccines
against FeLV and Chlamydia.
Although we're hearing a bit more of a backlash against vaccination,
serious side effects are very uncommon. The benefits of protection
against common fatal infections far outweigh any possible risks
and we at The Cat Clinic strongly recommend routine vaccination
for all cats.
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