It is really good news about the vaccine, my vet told me in Nov that the trials in Portugal had been very possitve and that it should be here early this year. Next time I go I will ask him if it is available yet. We had a dog that had leismania , he had to have the serum first  (only once) then the cheap pills after, however because he was an older dog I think the serum may have helped contol the initial problem  but it didn't do his liver any good and spent the next couple of years with liver trouble on and off.  After going through this I think I would try the pills for a while first and if that doesn't work well then the serum would have to be given. I have some Spanish friends that have dogs and they give all their dogs the pills as a matter of course and they don't seem to suffer from Leishmania.