More is not Better

When it comes to immunity and duration of immunity for vaccines, there is one clear expert. Dr. Ronald D. Schultz is one
of perhaps three or four researchers doing challenge studies on veterinary vaccines – and he has been doing these studies for
40 years.

It is Dr. Schultz’s work that prompted the AAHA and AVMA to reevaluate vaccine schedules. In 2003, The American Animal
Hospital Association Canine Vaccine Taskforce warned vets in JAAHA (39 March/April 2003) that “Misunderstanding, misinformation and the conservative nature of our profession have largely slowed adoption of protocols advocating decreased
frequency of vaccination; Immunological memory provides durations of immunity for core infectious diseases that far exceed
the traditional recommendations for annual vaccination.”

“This is supported by a growing body of veterinary information as well-developed epidemiological vigilance in human medicine
that indicates immunity induced by vaccination is extremely long lasting and, in most cases, lifelong.”

“The recommendation for annual re-vaccination is a practice that was officially started in 1978.” says Dr. Schultz. “This recommendation was made without any scientific validation of the need to booster immunity so frequently. In fact the presence
of good humoral antibody levels blocks the anamnestic response to vaccine boosters just as maternal antibody blocks the
response in some young animals.”

He adds: “The patient receives no benefit and may be placed at serious risk when an unnecessary vaccine is given. Few or
no scientific studies have demonstrated a need for cats or dogs to be revaccinated. Annual vaccination for diseases caused
by CDV, CPV2, FPLP and FeLV has not been shown to provide a level of immunity any different from the immunity in an
animal vaccinated and immunized at an early age and challenged years later. We have found that annual revaccination with
the vaccines that provide long-term immunity provides no demonstrable benefit.”

Duration of Immunity
Below is the result of duration of immunity testing on over 1,000 dogs (Schultz, R.D. Current and Future Canine and feline
vaccination programs. Vet Med 3: No. 3, 233-254, 1998). Both challenge (exposure to the real virus) and serology (antibody
titer results) are shown below:
Minimum Duration of Immunity for Canine Core Vaccines

Vaccine Minimum Duration of Immunity Methods Used to Determine Immunity
Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) 5 yrs / 15 yrs challenge / serology
Canine Adenovirus-2 (CAV-2) 7 yrs / 9 yrs challenge-CAV-1 / serology
Canine Parvovirus-2 (CAV-2) 7 yrs challenge / serology

It is important to note that this is the MINIMUM duration of immunity. These ceilings reflect not the duration of immunity,
rather the duration of the studies. Dr. Schultz explains “It is important to understand that these are minimum DOI’s and
longer studies have not been done with certain of the above products. It is possible that some or all of these products will
provide lifelong immunity.”
Dr. Schultz has seen these results repeated over the years. In 2010, he published the following results below with newer generation,recombinant vaccines (R. D. Schultz, B. Thiel, E. Mukhtar, P. Sharp and L. J. Larson. Age and Long-term Protective
Immunity in Dogs and Cats. J. Comp. Path. 2010, Vol. 142, S102eS108).
R. D. Schultz, B. Thiel, E. Mukhtar, P. Sharp and L. J. Larson.. It is important to note that not only did the vaccines provide
protection for a minimum of 4 to 5 years, it did so in 100% of the dogs tested.

Vaccine Dangers
Why is it important to understand Dr. Schultz’s work? Because vaccines can create very real health problems in dogs. It is
important that vaccines are only given when necessary because every vaccine has the potential to kill the patient or create
debilitating chronic diseases including cancer and allergies.
Below is a list of potential adverse vaccine reactions, according to Dr. Schultz:
Common Reactions
• Lethargy
• Hair loss, hair color change at injection
Site
• Fever
• Soreness
• Stiffness
• Refusal to eat
• Conjunctivitis
• Sneezing
• Oral ulcers
Moderate Reactions
• Immunosupression
• Behavioral changes
• Vitiligo
• Weight loss (Cachexia)
• Reduced milk production
• Lameness
• Granulomas/Abscesses
• Hives
• Facial edema
• Atopy
• Respiratory disease
• Allergic uveitis (Blue Eye)
Severe Reactions
• Vaccine injection site sarcomas
• Anaphylaxis
• Arthritis, polyarthritis
• HOD hypertrophy osteodystrophy
• Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia
• Immune Mediated Thrombocytopenia
(IMTP)
• Hemolytic disease of the newborn
(Neonatal Isoerythrolysis)
• Thyroiditis
• Glomerulonephritis
• Disease or enhanced disease which
with the vaccine was designed to
prevent
• Myocarditis
• Post vaccinal encephalitis or polyneuritis
• Seizures
• Abortion, congenital anomalies,
embryonic/fetal death, failure to
conceive

Summary
Dr. Schultz summarizes his 40 years of research with the following:
“Only one dose of the modified-live canine ‘core’ vaccine (against CDV, CAV-2 and CPV-2) or modified-live feline ‘core’
vaccine (against FPV, FCV and FHV), when administered at 16 weeks or older, will provide long lasting (many years to a
lifetime) immunity in a very high percentage of animals.”
We understand vets are frightened because they have seen animals die and suffer from preventable disease. Vaccine induced
diseases are also deadly and they are also preventable. Our companion animals rely on vets to make the right decisions when
it comes to vaccines. We are begging vets to stand up and take notice: our pets’ lives depend on it.

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