Vaccination: myths and facts

Correct answer: A. At 6–8 weeks

WSAVA recommends starting vaccinations at 6–8 weeks and repeating them every 2–4 weeks until the puppy or kitten is 16 weeks or older, followed by a booster at 6–12 months. Your vet will set the exact schedule according to your pet's age, health and lifestyle.

Correct answer: C. Antibodies from the mother block the vaccine, and no one knows exactly when they fade

Newborns get antibodies from their mother's first milk (colostrum). While these are still in the blood, the vaccine often can't work, and no one can tell exactly when they will fade: in some puppies it takes until 12 weeks or later. Repeat doses make sure one of them lands at the right time.

Correct answer: B. Yes, viruses can come in on shoes, clothes or objects

Feline panleukopenia virus survives for months in the environment and easily comes indoors on shoes, clothes and objects, so indoor cats need the core vaccines too (panleukopenia, herpesvirus, calicivirus). Whether rabies vaccination is needed depends on risk and local rules. Cats also escape, board or visit clinics.

Correct answer: D. It can be aggressive, or quiet and weak

Rabies takes two forms. In the "furious" form the animal is restless and aggressive; in the "paralytic" (or "dumb") form it is listless, its jaw drops, it drools and it is slowly paralysed. In both, behaviour changes suddenly. Don't touch a wild animal that has lost its fear of people, or a dog or cat behaving strangely; report it to the veterinary authorities.

Correct answer: C. A swollen face, vomiting or difficulty breathing

Mild tiredness, a slight fever or soreness at the injection site pass on their own within 1–2 days. Swelling of the face or eyes, hives, vomiting, collapse or difficulty breathing are signs of an allergic reaction and need immediate care. They usually develop within minutes to hours, which is why watching the animal after vaccination matters.

Correct answer: B. Yes, carefully: socialisation matters, but avoid unknown dogs and places many dogs use

Between about 3 and 14 weeks, puppies go through a key socialisation period: what they experience then shapes their behaviour for life, so shutting a puppy indoors isn't the answer. Carry it around outside, let it meet healthy vaccinated dogs, or join puppy classes. Until the course is complete, avoid parks and places used by lots of unknown dogs.

Correct answer: A. Vaccines should go to healthy animals: illness can weaken the immune response

A vaccine has to train the immune system. An animal with a fever or another illness may respond poorly, and vaccination is better postponed. The examination (weight, temperature, teeth, heart, parasites) also often catches problems the owner has not noticed.

Correct answer: C. Rarely yes, but the vaccine greatly lowers the risk and the severity

No vaccine protects 100%: immune responses vary between animals. But core vaccines (parvovirus, distemper, panleukopenia) give strong, long-lasting protection to the great majority of vaccinated animals, and the more animals are vaccinated, the less the infection spreads among all of them.

Correct answer: B. A highly contagious viral disease that vaccination prevents

Panleukopenia is caused by a virus related to canine parvovirus. It brings vomiting, diarrhoea, high fever and a severe drop in white blood cells, and is often fatal in unvaccinated kittens. The virus survives for months in the environment and resists most common disinfectants. Vaccination protects very effectively.

Correct answer: D. Once signs appear rabies is almost 100% fatal, and most human cases come from dogs

According to WHO, dogs are responsible for up to 99% of human rabies cases. Once clinical signs appear the disease is almost always fatal. Mass vaccination of dogs is the most effective way to protect people: a vaccinated pet protects its owner, their family and the neighbours.