feline leukemia shots

Question
QUESTION: My cat got a feline leukemia shot and will get another in a month--thereafter yearly.  My question is, should I have had her tested for feline leukemia before getting the shot?  She is 3 yrs old and was tested once 4 years ago.  She had not been vaccinated for this before.  If I have her tested now, will the vaccine in her body possibly mask leukemia, in the rare event that she would have it?

ANSWER: The vaccination will not do anything for a cat with it already. It wouldn't be a bad idea to get her tested so you know where she stands, but a cat that has it will not get worse when vaccinated and the vaccine does not mask the virus.

I am curious however, how can your cat have been tested 4 yrs ago if she is only three? :-)

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: lol!  my bad about the age/testing date!  She was born in May '07 and tested Nov. '07.  Oh, wow!  I guess that does make her 4 now!  

Anyway, I go to a "roaming" vet that comes to town on weekends to only give shots/tests for clients, operating out of a pet store, etc.  They recommend these tests.  For everything else, I go to a regular vet who does not recommend it.  So I guess I'm trying to get a third opinion as well as to the necessity of the test in the first place.  

A little history--"Sheba" is an indoor cat for the most part, however, at times will slip right out the door the moment I open it when coming home.  She's never gone for more than an hour but there are several strays in the area.

Answer
It only takes one cat to sneeze on her, or for her to drink from a puddle an infected cat drank from, or a cat to lick her or bite her to give it to her. Hence the idea of at least one test. Like I said, think of it as a base line. Then if she ever shows symptoms, you will know that she either had it all along or she picked it up along the way.

No vaccine is ever 100% at preventing disease.