Efficacy was confirmed in a one - year
duration of immunity study in which none of the vaccinated animals were infected with rabies when challenged 12 months after a single dose of DEFENSOR.4 During a field safety study conducted in 200 ferrets, no significant post-vaccination reactions were observed.5
Almost all rabies vaccinations on the market for dogs today have been shown to last at least three years via
duration of immunity studies.
My own view is that we should take on board Dr Schultz's statements made as a result of
his duration of immunity studies, namely that, «Once an animal is immune to viral disease, he is immune for years or life».
However,
duration of immunity studies have shown that the antibodies given by the vaccine only last 6 - 10 months.
Not exact matches
The durability
of the vaccine (that is, how long protective
immunity lasts after vaccination) is not yet established, and one longer -
duration follow - up
study of vaccinated individuals suggested that vaccination might not convey long - lasting
immunity to all recipients.
In this
study, Slifka and colleagues looked at the magnitude and
duration of immunity to tetanus and diphtheria to provide an evidence - based evaluation
of the current adult vaccine schedule.
These ceilings reflect not the
duration of immunity, rather the
duration of the
studies.
Dr Schultz's
studies show the minimum
duration of immunity that likely protects your dog for life once he's had his core vaccines as a puppy or adult.
Once this booster is given
studies show the
duration of immunity anywhere from 8 - 15 years and most likely lifetime.
Those upper numbers reflect the
duration of the
study, not the time at which
immunity began to decline.
The
duration of immunity for rabies vaccine, canine distemper vaccine, canine parvovirus vaccine, feline panleukopenia vaccine, feline rhinotracheitis, feline calicivirus, have all been shown to last a minimum
of 7 years by serology (measuring blood antibody levels) for rabies and challenge
studies for all the rest.
In 2003, the American Animal Hospital Association Canine Vaccine Task Force evaluated the data from these challenge and serological
studies and, while noting that the core vaccines had a minimum
duration of immunity of at least seven years, compromised in 2003 with the statement that «revaccination every 3 years is considered protective.»
Research
studies to determine
duration of immunity are ongoing at this time.
Unlike injectable vaccines where more research has been done into the
duration of immunity, not much has been
studied into how long the kennel cough vaccine lasts.
«Since the mid 1970's we have done a variety
of studies with various canine vaccines to demonstrate their
duration of immunity.
These ceilings reflect not the
duration of immunity, but the
duration of the
studies.