essential new information site

http://www.petconnection.com/blog/2009/03/05/shoot-em-up/

a useful blog

Werecommend this site for summary information on the current state of cat vaccination.

http://drmarcia.wordpress.com/2009/02/10/feline-vaccine-recommendations/#com

New vaccination guidelines

http://www.webfeline.com/2008/feline-vaccination-guidelines/

Check out these new guidelines from UC Davis. This is their introductory paragraph:

From UC Davis - updated Dec 2007

In general, guidelines for vaccination of cats have been strongly influenced by the appearance of vaccine-associated sarcomas in cats, and in particular their epidemiologic association with feline leukemia virus vaccines and killed rabies virus vaccines. Thus, there is clear evidence for minimizing frequency of vaccination in cats. The recommendations below have been made in light of the AVMA/AAHA/AAFP/VCS task force recommendations on vaccine-associated sarcomas in cats. Risk factors for sarcomas should be discussed with cat owners at the time of examination. If a cat develops a palpable granuloma at the site of previous vaccination, the benefits vs risks of future vaccinations should be carefully considered. All vaccine-associated sarcomas should be reported to the vaccine manufacturer, the USDA Center for Veterinary Biologics, and the AVMA.

T-shirts available

As of May 15th, Negativity Institute T-shirts will be available for $15.95 plus $2.50 shipping. Black shirt with red Negativity Institute logo. Large only. Please e-mail wdoreski@keene.edu for order info.

Nat Snoozing in the sun

Today, April 10, would have been Nat's thirteenth birthday. He died of a vaccine-associated sarcoma in February.

Risk Assessment for Cat Vaccination

"Veterinarians should still limit vaccination to those needed on the basis of individual risk assessment and should limit the number of concurrently administered vaccinations. Results of the present study indicated risk factors for VAAEs in cats and may help veterinarians individualize vaccine protocols for cats, but further studies are needed to evaluate other vaccines or vaccine types. Results of those studies should be interpreted in light of their clinical relevance and statistical validity and thereafter appropriately incorporated into published guidelines. Although the findings of this study can be used in communication with clients regarding risk of adverse events after vaccination, the low rate and mild nature of most VAEEs in cats should not be a deterrent to the routine use of vaccination for the prevention of important infectious diseases."(George E. Moore, et al. JAVMA "Adverse events after vaccine administration" Vol. 231 #1 July 1, 2007, pp. 94-100)

Are Distemper Shots Safe?

Since there have been no controlled studies, there can be no definitive answer to this issue. Because distemper comes under a combined viral booster, it is even more problematic. There is a persistent strain in the literature from 1990 on, however, and that points to the entire sensitizing mechanism of inflammatory response ... leading to oncogenesis--or the productive of a malignant neoplasm (new cells that are cancerous). Of course, rabies and leukemia have occupied most of the mass media--and the professional literature in part because these hideous cancers were unknown (or at least unremarked upon) until adjuvanted killed rabies and leukemia in the 1980s. Because rabies had been live (without ill effects) and because leukemia was a new vaccine (and was given annually), there is little sense of whether it is the adjuvant (pure and simple) or whether it was the combination--and therefore, over-vaccination that led to the disaster.

It should be mentioned that every oncologist that I have met with, spoken to, corresponded with has agreed that each generation of cats seems more prone to VAS because of hypersensitivity. There obviously needs to be real genetic and immunological work to answer these questions.

For a commonsense warning/advice re: inoculations: see Dr Mike's www.vetinfo4cats.com ... under vaccinations. Most of us are so old that we remember the deadly consequences of distemper ... but we never had cats dying of VAS from distemper shots. Check out the likely risk age for distemper and leukemia. I have lived on this site ...for a few years ... but regrettably, I went to each entry as things happened. How I wish I had reviewed his wise counsel re: vaccinations.

I do think that combination shots, repeated inoculations increase the risk ... This would seem to be borne out by the literature ... over time.