Vaccinations, Immunisation, Titre Testing and WSAVA Guidelines
- Karla Pearson
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
The World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) is a global veterinary community that bases its guidelines on evidence-based veterinary medicine. These guidelines give vets the current scientific advice on the best vaccination concepts. In this blog, we will be discussing core vaccinations, the difference between vaccinating and immunising, and WSAVA guidelines on vaccination protocols and titre testing. The core vaccinations we are discussing in this blog are parvovirus, hepatitis and distemper. This is the DHP three-in-one vaccine; currently in the UK the only one of these you can give singly.
What is the difference between vaccinating and immunisation?
Just because you have vaccinated your dog does not mean that your dog is immunised. When we give a vaccine, we aim to immunise. When a dog is immunised, it means that the vaccination has worked and the dog has gained immunity to the diseases it has been vaccinated against.
If you give the last vaccination when your pup is too young, they will still be covered by maternal immunity and the vaccination will not work/take. Once the mother’s maternal immunity has waned, they can be left unprotected against those diseases.
If you have a dog that is a non-responder, it is impossible to immunise them no matter how often you give a vaccination; these dogs will always be susceptible to those diseases.
WSAVA guidelines on puppy vaccinations
The recommendation is for initial core vaccinations at 6–8 weeks of age, then every 2–4 weeks until 16 weeks of age, and then a booster at 6–12 months or a titre test 4 weeks after the 16-week vaccination to check if the puppy is immunised — this would be at 20 weeks.
If the pup is immunised, then the guidelines say there is no need for the 6–12 month booster. The difficulty is knowing at what age it is best to give the first vaccination, as most pups will be covered by their mother’s maternal immunity (MDA). Maternal immunity is passed to the pup through the colostrum in the mother’s milk. Maternal immunity can begin to wane as early as 8 weeks but can last up to 14–16 weeks. For this reason WSAVA states, “No single primary vaccination policy will therefore cover all situations.”
When getting a pup, it is important to know if the mother has immunity. All breeding bitches should be titre tested to check, and if they are non-responders they should not be bred from, as the pups will not gain any maternal immunity from the mum.
If you vaccinate early and give all three vaccinations, you risk over-vaccinating your pup. However, if you wait until later to vaccinate, there is some risk of your pup getting one of the illnesses the vaccines protect against. So it very much depends on your pup’s circumstances and what risk you see as the greater risk. Base your decision on this.
If the pup is hand-reared, the pup will not have any maternal immunity, therefore earlier vaccinations may potentially be beneficial. But in most cases pups that come from a mum that has immunity will still be covered by MDA, making the vaccine less effective at that time. The older the pup is, the more MDA will have waned and the more capable the dog is of responding to the vaccination.
How often should core vaccinations (“parvovirus, hepatitis and distemper”) be given?
Often these vaccinations are still given annually. This should never happen, as the datasheet that comes with the DHP vaccine states “once every three years.” We know that once every three years is still far too frequently for most dogs. The science has proven by serological testing and by challenge studies that core vaccinations last a minimum of 7 years and can last the lifetime of the pet. This is why it is so important to always titre test before giving core vaccinations. WSAVA guidelines state core vaccinations should not be given more frequently than every three years. This does not mean that they should be given every three years; this simply means they should never be given any sooner than three years. There is no science-based evidence to suggest dogs need these vaccines every three years.
WSAVA Guidelines — Key Principles
Vaccinations should not be given needlessly.
Core vaccinations should not be given more frequently than every three years because the duration of immunity is many years and may be up to the lifetime of the pet.
A dog that has responded to core vaccinations maintains solid immunity (immunological memory) for many years in the absence of any repeat vaccinations.
Even the three-year licence is a minimum duration of immunity; for most core vaccinations the true duration of immunity is likely to be considerably longer, if not lifelong.
An adopted adult dog (or puppy over 16 weeks of age) of unknown vaccination history requires only a single dose of core vaccination to engender a protective immune response.
The WSAVA states that giving more than one core vaccination (i.e., restarting vaccinations) to an adult dog or pup over 16 weeks of age is unjustified and contrary to immunological memory principles.
Titre Testing
A titre test is a simple blood test that looks for circulating antibodies in the dog’s blood. When doing a titre test, it is important to understand that the level of the titre (antibodies present) is irrelevant. Any measurable antibodies mean the dog has immunity. Antibody levels go up and down depending on circumstances — a high titre does not mean your dog is more immune than a low titre.
The immune system works in two ways: when your dog is immunised, this creates memory cells. These memory cells are what produce antibodies when needed, which is why measurable antibodies indicate immune memory.
Limitations of Titre Testing
A titre test can only measure antibodies at that moment; it cannot measure immune memory, so it can give a false negative. That does not necessarily mean the dog has no immunity, just that antibody levels were too low to measure at that time.
If a dog has a 0 titre, it could also mean the dog is a non-responder — unable to respond to the vaccine and therefore always susceptible to the disease.
Final Thoughts
The Vaccinations Guidelines Group supports titre testing from 20 weeks onwards to confirm immunity.
Low or undetectable antibodies do not always mean a dog is unprotected — many dogs have robust immunity through immunological memory, even with a negative titre test.
Previously vaccinated, seronegative dogs often show a strong immune response when revaccinated, indicating they were already protected.
• Stay informed — things change as science progresses.
• Avoid over-vaccination — use titre testing to check if your dog has immunity.
• A single vaccine at 16+ weeks can be enough for lifelong protection in many dogs.
• Do not blindly vaccinate — challenge your vet if boosters are recommended unnecessarily.
When it comes to vaccinations there is no right or wrong answer, as everyone’s situation is different. All vaccines come with potential risk, as does not giving any vaccines. You must do your research and decide what risk you feel most comfortable with. If you decide not to give any vaccines, do this under the guidance of a holistic vet, and research nosodes and building immunity naturally.
Anyone wanting to know more about vaccines, the book I’d recommend is ‘The Tip of the Needle’ by Catherine O’Driscoll.
