2017 AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines*

Executive Summary

The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) is pleased to introduce this revision of the Canine Vaccination Guidelines published, for the first time, as an online educational resource for the veterinary medical profession. This format will allow for frequent online updates as necessary. The revised AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines offer important updates to the 2011 Guidelines. The content of the Guidelines has been significantly expanded to facilitate efforts by practicing veterinarians to meet patient and client needs in a complex infectious disease environment. The Guidelines are an authoritative source of evidence-based recommendations and expert opinion provided by the AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines Task Force. The Task Force includes individuals with extensive experience in primary care practice, academia, shelter medicine, public health, and veterinary law related to clinical practice.

While there is often consensus on which canine vaccines fall into core and noncore categories and when they should be administered, in practice, the vaccination protocol should always be individualized based on the patient’s risk factors, life stage, and lifestyle. For this reason, these Guidelines are not intended to represent a universal vaccination protocol applicable to all dogs. Instead, the Guidelines offer a range of recommendations that will aid practitioners in making rational decisions on vaccine selection for their individual patients.

The AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines offer important updates to previously published guidelines as well as new, relevant information that directly impacts the practicing veterinarian:

• Updated, quick-reference tables summarizing vaccination recommendations for client-owned and shelter-housed dogs.

• Internet links that provide ready access to regularly updated online sources of information that will supplement the Guidelines themselves, for example, state-by-state information on rabies vaccination law and regulations, and comprehensive information on vaccine storage and handling.

• Algorithms outlining indications for antibody testing (serology) as well as recommended actions for patients with a “positive” or “negative” test result.

• Product information on the emerging class of immunotherapeutics approved for use in veterinary medicine.

As one of the safest and most cost-effective means of infectious disease prevention, vaccination has long been a focal point of canine practice. This revision of the entire AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines is presented in an online format at aaha.org/CanineVaccinationGuidelines. Termed an “Online Educational Resource,” this iteration of the AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines offers readers immediate accessibility to current, “must-know” information that directly impacts clinical practice on a daily basis.

The table on vaccination recommendations in practice is an up-to-date, master reference that functions as a stand-alone resource covering all commercially available canine vaccines licensed in the United States and Canada. Core and noncore vaccines are listed along with recommendations for revaccination intervals and various precautions. The table contains links to sections in the Guidelines that provide additional, relevant detail. This is the only section available in print in JAAHA. The remainder of the sections listed below can be found at aaha.org/CanineVaccinationGuidelines.

Rabies vaccines are the only vaccines administered by veterinarians that are required by law. Because rabies laws may vary from state to state (or jurisdictions within states), a new section on rabies vaccination provides access to current state-by-state information on rabies and rabies vaccination law, and regulations that directly impact decisions veterinarians make in practice.

Another new section offers recommendations for dogs that are overdue for vaccination. Vaccine-specific guidance is provided for what is often an ambiguous aspect of veterinary practice, i.e., the canine patient that presents with an unknown or out-of-date vaccination history. Recommendations for core and noncore vaccines are presented.

Shelter-housed dogs represent a sizeable population of animals at increased risk of exposure to vaccine-preventable infectious diseases. The Guidelines include an updated table on recommendations for vaccination of shelter-housed dogs, including those in long-term housing facilities.

Another novel component of the Guidelines is a section on antibody testing (serology) as an adjunct to vaccination. Information is included that addresses not only the indications for testing, but also provides recommended actions based on whether the test results are “positive” or “negative.” Antibody testing represents a selective approach to assessing an individual dog’s response to vaccination. Determination of antibody status is especially relevant for the assessment of patients that have an unknown vaccination history, are overdue for vaccination, those undergoing chemotherapy, those receiving immunosuppressive drugs, as well as patients with a history of vaccine adverse reactions.

As noted in the section on legal considerations, veterinarians can exercise some professional discretion in deviating from vaccine label recommendations, such as determining appropriate revaccination intervals based the patient’s risk. On the other hand, the protocol for administering rabies vaccinations is not discretionary. Decisions surrounding the administration of rabies vaccines require strict adherence to statutory requirements.

The section on vaccine storage and handling summarizes “must know” information related to the storage and use of vaccines within the practice. Included are tips for avoiding misidentification of vaccines, monitoring storage conditions, and the consequences of subjecting vaccines to out-of-range temperatures. A link to comprehensive Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines for proper vaccine storage and handling of vaccines is provided.

Immunotherapeutic products represent a rapidly emerging class of biologics licensed for use in veterinary medicine. The Guidelines include a new section entitled therapeutic biologics specifically directed at informing veterinarians about the availability and intended use of these novel adjunctive immune-based therapies.

In the section on frequently asked questions, readers will find informative recommendations for dealing with an assortment of commonly encountered, vaccine-related situations seen in clinical practice.

The AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines support the implementation of effective, individualized pathways for the prevention of infectious diseases of dogs. Implicit in the Guidelines is the integral role vaccination plays in the veterinary profession’s emphasis on preventive healthcare and regular exams as the foundation of a long, active, and rewarding relationship between pets and their human companions. To read these guidelines in their entirety, visit aaha.org/CanineVaccinationGuidelines.

TABLE Vaccination Recommendations—Practice

View Fullscreen

NOTE: Vaccines designated as CORE should be administered to all dogs. However, because exposure risk to vaccine-preventable disease varies, selected NONCORE vaccines may be recommended as CORE in individual practices depending on geographic region, patient lifestyle, age, etc.