My dog has had the kennel cough (bordetella) vaccine and still came down with kennel cough at another facility. Do they really need it?

Yes. The vaccine is about 85% effective and is similar to the human flu vaccine in the fact that it protects us, but not from all strains of the virus. When dogs are stressed (like they are many times in a traditional kennel environment), their immune system can be compromised making it easier for them to come down with kennel cough.