Dear Editor:

The American College of Veterinary Microbiologists (ACVM) was invited by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) to comment on the “Report of the AAHA Canine Vaccine Task Force: 2003 Canine Vaccine Guidelines, Recommendations, and Supporting Literature” (

JAAHA,2003;39(March/April):119–131
). Dr. Scott McVey, President of ACVM, appointed a committee of ACVM Diplomates (listed on next page) to provide comments on behalf of ACVM.

Our committee agrees that decisions regarding selection of vaccines and vaccination interval should be made on an individual basis by a veterinarian with a valid client-patient relationship. The committee also agrees with the concept of designating vaccines as core vaccines, non-core vaccines, and “not generally recommended” vaccines. We emphasize that the final decision on vaccine usage depends on the professional judgment of the veterinarian. Some of the non-core vaccines, such as Leptospirosis vaccines, may be used by a majority...

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