title: Report of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Canine Vaccine Task Force: executive summary and 2003 canine vaccine guidelines and recommendations.
abstract: The AAHA has undertaken the development of this document in an effort to inform veterinary practitioners, clarify misunderstandings held by veterinarians, and encourage practitioners to recognize that immunization of patients is a medical procedure. As such, it is bound by the same tenets that govern the recommendation of other medical procedures-principally, that it be tailored to the needs of the individual patient. Many diseases we immunize against are ubiquitous. Many are serious and some even life threatening. Some are of limited demographic concern given the exposure risk for each patient. These factors have all been considered in developing the AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines. In the end, each veterinarian must do what he or she determines to be in the best interest of the patient. Vaccination of individual animals produces not only individual immunity but also population or herd immunity. Since we have no readily available and reliable way to determine if each patient has developed an adequate immune response, we encourage the practice philosophy of vaccinating more patients while vaccinating each patient no more than needed.
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Appel
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.forename: Leland E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Carmichael
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Childers
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cotter
authors.forename: Autumn
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Keil
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lappin
authors.forename: Ronald D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Schultz
authors.forename: Eileen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thacker
authors.forename: Janice L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Trumpeter
authors.forename: Link
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Welborn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004285:Dogs; D012955:Societies, Medical; D014481:United States; D014611:Vaccination / Q000592:standards / Q000662:veterinary*; D014612:Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014730:Veterinary Medicine
chemical_list: D014612:Vaccines