John Ellis, DVM, PhD, DACVP, DACVM

Annual vaccination and wellness exams have dramatically reduced the levels of infectious diseases in dogs and cats in the United States. Since annual vaccination is considered to be the gold standard, many veterinarians are puzzled and confused by the recent suggested changes for vaccinating dogs and cats.

Of course, the answer to this rhetorical question that has been, and is, asked primarily by academicians in various forums during the past several years is supposed to be "yes," otherwise the respondent is considered uninformed, conservative, or worse, simply a greedy capitalist with his or her clients and patients comprising the victimized proletariat.