Changing revaccination intervals: what basis, if any?

Abstract

Most companion animal veterinarians will be aware of the controversy and debate raging in the United States around the issue of frequency of revaccination of dogs and cats. It is an issue of huge importance to the profession over there and it shows no signs of going away, however fervently some might wish it would. Indeed, it seems likely that the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) will publish new recommendations concerning revaccination frequency in the near future. Several commentators, including some who seem reluctant to embrace change, anticipate that the AVMA will follow the lead of many American veterinary schools and the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) in recommending a decrease in "booster" revaccination frequency, despite the fact that advisory statements on vaccine package inserts generally recommend annual revaccination.