Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Safety and effectiveness of two feline leukemia vaccines in kittens
By Grosenbaugh, D A et al.·Published in Veterinary therapeutics : research in applied veterinary medicine·2004·Merial Limited, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Comparison of the safety and efficacy of a recombinant feline leukemia virus (FeLV) vaccine delivered transdermally and an inactivated FeLV vaccine delivered subcutaneously.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of kittens received either a new transdermal vaccine for feline leukemia (rFeLV) or a traditional subcutaneous vaccine (FeLV-k) to see which one worked better. Both vaccines were given in two doses, and afterward, the kittens were exposed to the virus. The results showed that all vaccinated kittens were protected from the virus, while most of the unvaccinated kittens developed the disease. Additionally, there were no noticeable side effects from either vaccine. This suggests that the new transdermal vaccine is just as effective as the traditional one in protecting against feline leukemia.
People also search for: cat leukemia vaccine effectiveness · transdermal vaccine for kittens · feline leukemia prevention · side effects of cat vaccines
Abstract
The efficacy of a new recombinant FeLV vaccine (rFeLV), delivered transdermally via a needle-free delivery device was compared to that of an inactivated FeLV vaccine (FeLV-k), administered subcutaneously, with a conventional needle and syringe. Kittens were immunized with either rFeLV (0.25 ml, transdermal) or FeLV-k (1 ml, subcutaneous); or they were sham-vaccinated with physiologic saline (0.25 ml, transdermal). Two vaccinations were administered 21 days apart. Injection sites were monitored for any acute or subacute reactions relative to vaccine administration. Four weeks following the final vaccination, all cats were subject to oro-nasal FeLV challenge. Blood was collected for determination of FeLV antigenemia (p27) at weekly intervals beginning three weeks post-challenge. All of the vaccinated cats from both groups resisted FeLV challenge; and 90% of the control cats developed persistent FeLV antigenemia in response to challenge. No acute or persistent injection site reactions were observed. The rFeLV, delivered transdermally, provides protection against persistent FeLV antigenemia following a robust challenge that is equivalent to that of FeLV-k.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15719325/