Has there been a change in the yearly booster requirements?

june

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I heard there was a change in the yearly booster requirement, that it's no longer deemed necessary to have a booster every year, that the original vaccination lasts for up to three years and more, that vets are not alerting the public to this change because it cuts into their business but the American Veterinary Medical Association sent out findings that this was the ruling now and vets were to tell their clients about this change. Some are. Some aren't. Does anyone have a link that can substantiate this?(thanks)
 

deb25

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I don't have a link, June, but I have heard this more than once.
 

ctcat

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I've heard of this.

I think the issues that the vets are having is that if they stop promoting the "yearly vaccines," they are afraid that their patients won't be brought in for yearly physicals. I work an an animal hospital and I see all the time health issues that were found by the vet during routine vaccine appointments that the owners have totally missed.

If the vet does manage to convince the owner to come in yearly anyway, blood titers should be checked to make sure that each cat is still covered by the vacc. Depending on the hospital, these titers can cost much more than the vaccines themselves.
High risk cats should still be vaccinated yearly in my opinion. My cats are low risk so I only vaccinate every other year and once my cats reach 10, I only vaccinate for rabies.
 

sharky

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My vet has gone to the every three years after the intial and the first rabies booster
 

emb_78

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Originally Posted by CTCat

I've heard of this.

I think the issues that the vets are having is that if they stop promoting the "yearly vaccines," they are afraid that their patients won't be brought in for yearly physicals. I work an an animal hospital and I see all the time health issues that were found by the vet during routine vaccine appointments that the owners have totally missed.

If the vet does manage to convince the owner to come in yearly anyway, blood titers should be checked to make sure that each cat is still covered by the vacc. Depending on the hospital, these titers can cost much more than the vaccines themselves.
High risk cats should still be vaccinated yearly in my opinion. My cats are low risk so I only vaccinate every other year and once my cats reach 10, I only vaccinate for rabies.
You are correct Brenda. There are new 3 year vax, but this doesn't mean you should not bring your cat in for their yearly!! Vets are not trying to hide this. Yearly exams are very important to your cats health!!
 

huggles

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oh I have not heard about this in australia - so please anyone that isnt from the USA please check into it in your homeland.
 

gratefulbear629

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I work at an animal hospital in NJ. Here first rabies is good for 1 year and then 3 years after that. As far as boosters, usually if an animal is older, has been vaccinated routinely and has low risk, they are good for 3 years. But we still make sure to remind everyone to come back yearly for physicals.
 

luvmy4cats

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I work at a veterinary clinic in Pennsylvania. The protocol we folllow is: kittens are given FVRCPC (Distemper) vaccines every 3 weeks until they're 12 weeks old. If the kitten will be going outside at all or is exposed to an indoor/outdoor cat we also ecommend the FeLV (Feline Leukemia) vaccine. The FeLV is first given at 9 wks and is boostered at 12 weeks. Their first (1 year) Rabies vaccine is also given at 12 weeks. One year later they get a FVRCPC booster (or a FVRCPC/FeLV booster if they're at risk of contacting Feline Leukemia) and a 3 yr Rabies vaccine. The year after that when they come in for their annual exam they only get a FeLV vaccine (it is still recommended by the AAFP that cats at risk of Feline Leukemia get boosters every year). The FVRCPC is only given every 3 years after the 1 year booster (unless it works out that it would be due the same year as their 3 year Rabies vaccine--if that's the case then we give the FVRCPC a year early so the cat doesn't have to get both vaccines at once). Just so everyone knows the 3 year FVRCPC vaccine is exactly the same as the 1 year FVRCPC (we use the exact same vaccine in both instances). In dogs, however, the 3 year Distemper vaccine is a different vaccine than the 1 year vaccine (and costs about 3 times more than the 1 year vaccine). Because of the high cost (and Clients really haven't been asking about it) our clinic hasn't started doing the 3 year Distemper vaccine for dogs yet. I, myself, would pay more to get a 3 year vaccine for my dogs, just because I really don't like them having to get Distemper vaccines every single year. We live in a very rural area though and most people around here don't even know that a 3 year vaccine even exists. Since the clinic buys vaccines in bulk, we probably won't ever get the 3 year vaccines in. It is true about most vets not wanting to change their vaccine protocols. We are the only clinic that I know of in our area that has changed our protocol due to the new AAFP guidelines. Just out of curiosity I called around to different clinics one day (disguised as a potential new Client) and every one of them said they still recommend doing FVRCPC vaccines annualy. They are just so set in their ways that they aren't willing to change depite the fact that research has been done that shows that FVRCPC lasts at least 3 years in cats. If I were a Client at a clinic that refused to change their protocol I would just flat out tell them that I am only doing FVRCPC every 3 years for my adult cat. If they refuse to follow your wishes you can always look for another clinic until you find someone with your cat's best interest in mind (instead of just wanting to make money).
 
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