Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How maternal antibodies affect kitten vaccine responses
By Digangi, Brian A et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2012·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Effects of maternally-derived antibodies on serologic responses to vaccination in kittens.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of kittens was studied to see how their mother's antibodies affected their response to vaccinations. Kittens with lower levels of maternal antibodies responded better to certain vaccines, particularly a modified live virus vaccine for feline calicivirus. In general, using modified live vaccines was found to be more effective than inactivated vaccines for protecting against feline panleukopenia virus. The study suggests that continuing vaccinations beyond 14 weeks of age can help ensure that all kittens develop strong immunity.
People also search for: kitten vaccination schedule · maternal antibodies in kittens · best vaccine for feline calicivirus · modified live vaccine for kittens
Abstract
The optimal vaccination protocol to induce immunity in kittens with maternal antibodies is unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of maternally-derived antibody (MDA) on serologic responses to vaccination in kittens. Vaccination with a modified live virus (MLV) product was more effective than an inactivated (IA) product at inducing protective antibody titers (PAT) against feline panleukopenia virus (FPV). IA vaccination against feline herpesvirus-1 (FHV) and feline calicivirus (FCV) was more effective in the presence of low MDA than high MDA. Among kittens with low MDA, MLV vaccination against FCV was more effective than IA vaccination. A total of 15%, 44% and 4% of kittens had insufficient titers against FPV, FHV and FCV, respectively, at 17 weeks of age. Serologic response to vaccination of kittens varies based on vaccination type and MDA level. In most situations, MLV vaccination should be utilized and protocols continued beyond 14 weeks of age to optimize response by all kittens.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22314087/