Are the vaccinations given today any different than those given 20 years ago?

Early vaccines presented a form of a pathogen that couldn’t cause disease, but stimulated the body to mount an immune response.

Laurel Gershwin, Professor of Immunology at the University of California-Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, states, “these days we have evolved a better and newer means of vaccination, which come from those same principles, but have evolved along with our knowledge of immunology.”

She says with DNA technology, scientists can now remove the genes in viruses that are responsible for the production of disease, making today’s vaccines more safe and effective.

Similarly, it’s possible to isolate and use only the parts of a virus or bacteria that induce immunity. This helps protect pets from adverse vaccine reactions.

- Dr. Andrea Looney, DVM for the “Purina® Animal Instincts” Podcast Series

• previous: How do I know if my cat is having a reaction to a vaccine?
• next: Why might my veterinarian recommend vaccinating my cat against feline herpesvirus and feline calicivirus?