The 2017 AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines were developed to help support veterinary teams as they determine protocols for each of their patients’ risk factors, life stage, and lifestyle. Published in the September/October edition of the Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association (JAAHA)—and for the first time, as an online educational resource for the veterinary medical profession—these revised guidelines offer important updates to the 2011 AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines.
Source: AAHA Red, September 6, 2017.
The new guidelines include the Lifestyle-Based Vaccine Calculator, an interactive tool designed to support the veterinary team’s vaccination recommendations based on risk factors and lifestyle; quick reference tables for client-owned and shelter-housed dogs; antibody testing algorithms; recommendations for overdue patients; rabies law and exemption resources; vaccine storage and handling information; immunotherapeutic product summaries; and an expansion of the “Frequently Asked Questions” section.
INSIGHTS: Congratulations to AAHA and to Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, Merck Animal Health, Merial and Zoetis for sponsoring the educational grant to develop these newest vaccination guidelines. Lifestyle, life stage and risk awareness has been a considerable focus for individual pet care. It is good to see our industry adjusting to ensure more dogs can be vaccinated and protected against likely risks.