Clinical Talk: All this talk about vaccines…
The COVID-19 vaccines have made immunology a mainstream topic. For GP veterinarians, our days revolve around vaccines. Despite this fact, and our shared goal of protecting human and animal health, there is still not an exact standard that all veterinary hospitals are following for vaccinating their small animal patients.
As an Associate IndeVet, I have practiced in over 30 general small animal practices in the Philadelphia area, and I know that vaccine protocols and recommendations differ greatly among hospitals.
But why?
AAHA, AAFP, WSAVA, and vaccine manufacturers have established protocols based on scientific research, yet it is common practice to alter these protocols based on anecdotal evidence and experience.
Before we dive a little deeper into this, I am an advocate of modifying vaccine plans based on an individual animal’s health and lifestyle, but I am also advocating for our profession to have a standard for vaccination recommendations based on science and not past experiences or fear.
Read more: I got the vaccine! Our veterinarians’ journey to be Covid-19 vaccinated
A unified front
Vaccine misinformation exists in both the human and animal health industries. As medical professionals, it is our mission to provide our clients and patients with scientific evidence to help them make the best decision for their pets and human family members.
We make their decision more difficult if they receive various information from different healthcare professionals.
Education is key!
Information is at our fingertips instantaneously these days. This keeps us current in the research and recommendations of specialists in our fields. My colleague, Dr. Andrew Heller, and I, want to introduce a new series on our podcast – The IndeVets Happy Hour.
We are in the unique position to report on the different vaccine protocols we have experienced while working as Associate IndeVets and introduce current standards and manufacturer recommendations to our audience.
Our mission is to review current standards, speak with representatives from the major vaccine manufacturers, and tackle some myths we have seen and heard in our career surrounding veterinary vaccinations.
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Please join us starting the first week in September for our limited series: Let’s Talk about Vaccines. Find our show right here, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Subscribe, listen, and review!
As we finalize our topics for this limited series, we want to hear from you!
Please email me at marisa.brunetti@indevets.com if there is a vaccination topic you would like us to discuss, or if you are in industry and would like to be a guest on the show!
Marisa Brunetti, VMD is Chief Medical Officer for IndeVets. Listen to Dr. Brunetti and Dr. Heller talk clinical issues on our podcast, The IndeVets Happy Hour.
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