Are vaccinations always necessary

Penny Less

Penny Less

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Jabs due soon and wondering if its really necessary for mine to have them every year.
No one at our yard goes to shows or anywhere, only hacks. one of mine doesnt even hack.
They do tetanus every 2nd year, but I had a tet injection 5 years ago and was told not necessary for another 5 years! I know there has been a lot of controversy re dogs vaccinations over the years, if they are necessary. Would it invalidate any insurance claim if they were not vaccinated ?
 
i think flu jags are only for comps and i'd be willing to not have my mare done if i wasn't out and about and was on a yard where no one else was
lock jaw though i think is very necessary - there's no cure - and its a horrific death - not worth the risk imho
 
Depends on the horses and the yard.

All middle aged horses with no health issues on an entirely closed yard probley would be fairly low risk for the equine influenza...but generally the much safer option to just vaccinate.
The flu vaccine does not prevent the horse getting the flu it does however really lower the symptoms and misery for the horse and there are so many ways that they could be exposed to the flu that it is just the easiest option.

These qns all can help to evaluate the risk of catching the flu...
Are they are they coming into contact with otherhorses?Up the risk
What ages are they?any old or youngstock? old and young up the risk
Are people coming onto the yard that deal with other horses and can carry the bugs?up the risk
Is there a posibility of new stock coming onto the yard?up the risk
Have any of the horses ever had the flu before?potential carriers that can shed if stressed up the risk

Most cases of flu are usually mild respiratory disease...but like anything there is a hugh range of possible symptoms and cases.In some cases however it can be very very serious and will require a long recovery time.
It is of particular importance for competions as it is very contagious and can keep a horse out of training but every horse can get the Flu.
Vaccination will decrease the risk of a very seriously ill horse why risk it?

All horses should have the tetanus shot.

Unlike people horses often carry the bacteria in their system and this means the enviornment is contaminated.So the cuts and nicks that all horses are at a high risk of geting contaminated.Even though the certain set of cirumstances that lead to tetanus are thankfully not very common its not worth the risk.
Plus the antitoxin is not a gauranteed cure and Tetanus is a horrible way to die.Not worth it imo
Humans and horses are not very alike so comparing dosent really work to well as they have fairly different systems and some different bugs affecting them.
Mind you Gp's also tend to have differing advise...i was told my tetanus jab would last ten years...i pointed out that considering working with horses and sharp pointy needles in the same vicinity would surely put me at high risk and he suddenly wasnt to sure on the initial idea..told me to go do some research on it and get back to him :P

Dogs and vaccinations is a funny one....
dogs still DO need yearly vaccinations...as some of the diseases involed need the yearly booster while others like distemper are 3 year boosters.The covering for 3 years was revealed with new research though.Its actually quite difficult to assess how well vaccines work over a time frame so the year rule was considered to be the safest option as it was the option that was proven for a long time.

With the Equine vacinations in the face of some outbreaks closer vaccination to ensure protection so id have my doubts about extending the times.
So like humans the safest thing to do is to vaccinate according to what the vaccine manufacturers advise.

Not sure if it would invalidate insurance though...it should imo.But it might not you'd have to check your policy
 
Tetanus is an absolute MUST for the following reasons:

Tetanus is caused by the bacterium Clostridium tetanii which can be found in soil and droppings just about everywhere. It survives in the environment for long periods of time. It enters the body through wounds, particularly puncture wounds if the wound is dirty. Puncture wounds on the sole of the foot are common sites of infection. Infection can be acquired via the intestines, after eating contaminated soil or droppings, through gastric or intestinal ulcers. In foals, infection can occur via the umbilicus (navel). The tetanus bacteria do not need oxygen (they are classified as ‘anaerobic’ bacteria) and multiply rapidly in the damaged tissues at the site of the injury. They produce a toxin (tetanus toxin) and it is this potent neurotoxin that causes the classical signs of tetanus.

There is no cure and it leads to an horrific death.
Vaccination needs to be done every 2 years but check with your vet.
 
tetanus vaccines have either a 2 or 3 yr license depending on the brand. whoever told you 5yrs was a bit irresponsible as there is no proof the vaccines lasts this long in horses. tetanus vaccination is essential.

flu must be done every yr if you want it to be effective. if your horse lives in a field and never goes anywhere or meets any other horses then its need is debatable.
 
Star - I think shes talking about human tetanus jabs at 5yr intervals.
OP - I've had this debate with clients, license is for 2-3yrs vaccine dependent (most seem to state 18-30mths from the info sheets) therefore no tests/studies currently to say it is safe to vaccinate at longer intervals. General word on the street is that tetanus has never occured in a horse that hs had the full initial course (irrespective of whether they are up to date or not).
My advice, always keep tetanus up to date (death from lockjaw is not something you need to see in your lifetime! I have as a child and the images of that pony suffering are still fresh in my mind). Flu - that's a bit more debatable.
 
The other thing to bear in mind is that vaccination is a condition of many insurance policies. A client of mine had an issue with an mortality payout because there was no record of the pony receiving a tetanus vaccine, even though the cause of death was completely unrelated to this.
 
I always have mine vaccinated but last year I let it lapse as she got laminitis and she was on box rest so long. I will get her done in the next month though.
 
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