When puppies are born, they already have protective antibodies that they have gotten from their mothers; this is called maternal immunity. A puppy’s maternal immunity provides temporary protection against infectious pathogens that the puppy may be exposed to during the first few weeks of life. The level of maternal immunity soon wears off when puppies are between 8 and 16 weeks old. If a vaccine is given while maternal antibodies are still high, they will render the vaccine ineffective. When a vaccine is administered, it does not confer immediate immunity. The vaccine works by stimulating the immune system of puppies to produce antibodies. To ensure continued protection after maternal antibodies have wore off, veterinarians recommend vaccinating puppies starting at about 8 weeks old and given every 4 weeks until the puppy reaches 4 months of age.
You should ask your veterinarian Savannah, GA about ‘core’ and ‘non-core’ vaccines.
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