Studies :: Adjuvants

Adjuvants

Introduction

Vaccine adjuvants are chemical proteins that enhance the immune response to vaccine antigens. A protective immune response must enhance those aspects of immunity that will be effective against each specific disease pathogen.

Adjuvants are typically used in killed vaccines, but have also been used in modified-live vaccines. When developing a vaccine, it is essential to know what type of immune response will provide the best protection against a challenge from a disease pathogen. Selecting the proper adjuvant is key to developing an efficacious vaccine.

Commentary

While no vaccine is 100 percent effective in "real world" use, Fort Dodge Animal Health's proprietary adjuvant system makes our products some of the best in the industry.

Some important information was published in the May/June 2003 issue of the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Dr. Jim Roth, executive director of the Institute for International Cooperation in Animal Biologics, writes . . .

Aluminum adjuvants can cause inflammation and some authors suggest they should be avoided in cats. This recommendation, however, is controversial. Not only have adjuvants other than aluminum been linked to sarcomas, but tumors can also occur when vaccines without an adjuvant are used.

At present, no specific brands of vaccines seem to be associated with sarcomas. In general, it can be difficult to establish the incidence of rare adverse effects for any particular vaccine.

Although these potential hazards must be appreciated, killed vaccines are generally considered safer than modified-live vaccines, which have the potential to induce disease in immunocompromised animals. In most instances, the adverse effects of adjuvants are mild, and in general, their benefits outweigh the hazards of their use.

It should be increasingly possible to design and select adjuvants tailored to the specific needs of the antigen, species and situation. ⁶

References

1. Scott FW. Long-term immunity in cats vaccinated with an inactivated trivalent vaccine.Am J Vet Res. 1999 May;60(5):652-8.
2. Paul MA, et al. Report of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) Canine Vaccine Task Force: Executive Summary and 2003 Canine Vaccine Guidelines and Recommendations. J Am Anim Hosp Assoc. 2003 Mar-Apr;39(2):119-31.
3. Klingborg DJ, et al. AVMA Council on Biologic and Therapeutic Agents' report on cat and dog vaccines. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2002 Nov 15;221(10):1401-7.
4. Gobar GM, Kass PH. World Wide Web-based survey of vaccination practices, postvaccinal reactions, and vaccine site-associated sarcomas in cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2002 May 15;220(10):1477-82.
5. Kass PH, et al. Multicenter case-control study of risk factors associated with development of vaccine-associated sarcomas in cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2003 Nov 1;223(9): 1283-1292.
6. Spickler AR, Roth JA. Adjuvants in Veterinary Medicine: Modes of Action and Side Effects. J Vet Intern Med. 2003 May-June;17(3).

Other Suggested Readings:

Legendre AM, et al. Comparison of the efficacy of three commercial feline leukemia vaccines in a natural challenge exposure. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1991 Nov 15;199(10):1456-62.

Carr AP, et al. Prognostic factors for mortality and thromboembolism in canine immune-mediated hemolytic anemia: A retrospective study of 72 dogs. J Vet Intern Med. 2002;16:504-9.

Moore GE and Glickman LT. A perspective on vaccine guidelines and titer tests or dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2004 Jan 15;224(2):200-3.

Mouzin DE, Lorenzen MJ, Haworth JD, et al. Duration of serologic response to five viral antigens in dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2004 Jan 1;224:55-60.

Mouzin DE, Lorenzen MJ, Haworth JD, et al. Duration of serologic response to three viral antigens in cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2004 Jan 1;224:61-66.

Ek-Kommonen C, et al. Outbreak of canine distemper in vaccinated dogs in Finland. Vet Rec. 1997 Oct 11;141(15):380-3.

Olson P, et al. Duration of antibodies elicited by canine distemper virus vaccinations in dogs. Vet Rec. 1997 Dec 20-27;141(25):654-5.

McCaw DL, et al. Serum distemper virus and parvovirus antibody titers among dogs brought to a veterinary hospital for revaccination. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1998 Jul 1;213(1):72-5.

Lappin MR, et al. Use of serologic tests to predict resistance to feline herpesvirus 1, feline calicivirus, and feline parvovirus infection in cats. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2002 Jan 1;220(1):38-42.

Larson LJ, Schultz RD. Comparison of selected canine vaccines for their ability to induce protective immunity against canine parvovirus infection. Am J Vet Res. 1997 Apr;58(4):360-3.

Tizzard Ian. Science vs. surmise in decisions on vaccination frequency. Veterinary Forum. 2002 Jan;19(1).

Duval D, Giger U. Vaccine-associated immune-mediated hemolytic anemia in the dog. J Vet Intern Med. 1996 Sep-Oct;10(5):290-5.