# Questions about PMV Vaccine



## scruffy (May 7, 2018)

Hello 

My pigeons were vaccinated around this time last year against PMV. The vet did not say anything about booster shots, and reading online I saw conflicting information - some sources say they need a booster every 12 months, while other sources say nothing about boosters at all. May someone please confirm what's correct?

Another related thing is I'm unable to locate the vaccination record for one of my pigeons, so I'm unsure if that specific pigeon has received the PMV vaccine yet. In the case that they have already been vaccinated (unknown to me), is it safe to re-vaccinate just to make sure?

Thanks


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## jonrf (Nov 30, 2017)

Hi scruffy. It may depend on the type/brand of vaccine, what specific strain the vaccine is based on, and the level of potential risk of reinfection. I will do some in depth research tomorrow but I found this on drugs.com regarding the AviPro 111 PMV-1 vaccine for the PMV type-1 strain:

Copied directly from https://www.drugs.com/vet/avipro-111-pmv-1.html:
*VACCINATION SCHEDULE:* Young birds should be vaccinated at 4 weeks of age or older. A second vaccination should be given 4-8 weeks after the first. Old birds, not previously vaccinated, should be given 2 vaccinations 4-8 weeks apart. A single booster vaccination should be given annually. A suggested simple program is:

1. Vaccinate all young birds about 4 weeks prior to the start of the young bird racing season (or the show season).

2. Vaccinate all birds in the loft (both young and old) about 2 weeks before the breeding season.

So, if your flock is frequently exposed to feral populations, often races with mixed flocks, or is showed in large exhibitions, it would be advisable to revaccinate several weeks before such events. Or, if you live in an area where there is an current epidemic of Newcastle virus (like Southern California/Inland Empire). In these areas, there usually is a ban on importing and exporting birds, or if there is a large flock at risk, they may order a mass culling to prevent or limit the outbreak.

Again, it may depend on the strain the vaccine is based on and the time the pigeons' antibodies may decrease when a vaccinated bird is unexposed to infectious viruses over time.


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## jonrf (Nov 30, 2017)

It would appear to be perfectly safe to revaccinate after 5 weeks, as it may take aroumd 4+ weeks for a full immunity to develop. And the second dose will only reinforce the immunity. It wouldn't hurt. Revaccination 4 weeks or less may be safe but potentially inadequate as there's no guarantee the bird has developed a complete immunity between doses. This is much akin to human Hepatitis A vaccines where two doses are given about 21+ days apart to ensure immunity. I hope this helps.


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