Question

Once vaccination has been successfully achieved after the decline of MDA, it is generally recommended that a booster vaccine be given _______________ weeks later (this is especially important for inactivated vaccines, although a boostering effect will also occur following revaccination with attenuated live vaccines). This means that the series must be extended (answer 1) weeks beyond the period in which the decline in MDA occurs, with the final vaccination dose being a booster. In the past, it was recommended that revaccination be performed 1 year after the initial kitten series, and then for most vaccines every 3 years thereafter. However, owing to studies that suggest up to one third of kittens may fail to respond to a final core vaccine at 16 weeks and may have blocking MDA at 20 weeks, the WSAVA recommends that the 1 year vaccine (feline viral rhinotracheitiscalicivirus-panleukopenia only) be replaced with revaccination at ______________.

Answer 1

A booster vaccine is recommended 3-4 weeks after successful vaccination following the decline of MDA, and WSAVA suggests kittens be revaccinated at 6 months of age instead of the previous guideline of 1 year due to potential blocking of MDA at 20 weeks.

Step-by-step explanation:

Once vaccination has been successfully achieved after the decline of Maternally Derived Antibodies (MDA), it is generally recommended that a booster vaccine be given 3-4 weeks later. This is particularly crucial for inactivated vaccines to ensure an adequate immune response. However, a boosted immune response also occurs following revaccination with attenuated live vaccines. Because some memory cells produced during vaccination die off over time, and because each infection generates more memory cells and resistance, booster vaccinations mimic repeat exposures to maintain a robust immune memory.

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) now suggests that for kittens, instead of the previous recommendation of revaccination 1 year after the initial series, revaccination should be conducted at 6 months of age. This recommendation arises from studies that showed a significant proportion of kittens may not respond to a core vaccine given at 16 weeks and could have blocking MDA at 20 weeks.