What is the recommended vaccination schedule for puppies starting at 6-8 weeks through 16 weeks?

Question

Accepted Answer

Core puppy vaccination begins at 6–8 weeks of age and repeats every 2–4 weeks until 16 weeks of age or older. The total number of doses in the primary series is determined by the starting age and the chosen interval between vaccinations.1 When vaccination starts at 6 or 7 weeks with a 4-week interval, four primary core vaccines are administered. When vaccination starts at 8 or 9 weeks with a 4-week interval, three primary core vaccines are sufficient.1 The final dose in the series must be given at 16 weeks of age or older — this cutoff was specifically increased from the previous recommendation of 14–16 weeks to ensure adequate coverage of puppies whose maternally derived antibodies (MDA) persist at high enough titers to block vaccine response until 12 weeks of age or beyond.1 MDA is the central variable governing vaccine response timing. MDA wanes to a level permitting active immunization in most puppies by 8–12 weeks of age, but some puppies retain protective MDA titers as late as 18 weeks of age.12 Measuring MDA titers before designing a vaccination schedule reduces the risk of vaccine failure in individual puppies.2 In shelter settings, the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) recommends a modified-live virus (MLV) DA2PP vaccine at or before entry for all puppies 4 weeks of age and older, with boosters every 2–3 weeks until 18–20 weeks of age.3 Leptospirosis vaccination should not begin until at least 12 weeks of age; when initiated, a quadrivalent leptospirosis vaccine is given with a booster 3 weeks later.3 | Starting Age | Interval | Total Core Doses | Final Dose Age | |---|---|---|---| | 6–7 weeks | Every 4 weeks | 4 doses | ≥16 weeks 1 | | 8–9 weeks | Every 4 weeks | 3 doses | ≥16 weeks 1 | | Any age (shelter) | Every 2–3 weeks | Until 18–20 weeks | 18–20 weeks 3 | | ≥12 weeks (shelter) | 3 weeks apart | 2 doses (lepto) | Booster at 3 wks 3 | Would you like guidance on how to handle a puppy with unknown or incomplete prior vaccination history?