[Kris Christine]

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More information on this subject from Dr. Dodds below responding to another PETA Member's inquiry. None of the research dogs will be allowed to develop full-blown rabies (see below).

1. Question: How many dogs actually suffer, per year, to make purposely killing 70 pure bread beagles acceptable?

Dr. Dodds' Reply: It has been estimated that the adverse reaction rate of a serious nature to rabies vaccinations is in the order of 0.38- 0. 50 % , with another 1-3% of vaccinates experiencing less severe reactions. of the millions of dogs that must be vaccinated by law annually.

2. Question: How long does the dog suffer with obvious rabies before he is humanely euthanized?

Dr. Dodds' Reply: Not at all ; as soon as any relevant sign is noted with round-the-clock coverage --- at the end of the 5 and 7 year trials -- when all the dogs must be challenged with rabies virus, they are humanely sacrificed. We expect that all the non-vaccinated dogs will become ill, and that vaccinates will survive. BUT, as all these dogs will be just housed in large family style group pens, cared for and socialized for the entire trial period, without any exposure challenge to rabies virus until the end of the study, we have at least 4 years of their routine husbandry and care in which to dialog with the responsible USDA authorities to ask them to consider an alternative endpoint to the trial -- for example, allowing us to run rabies vaccine serology titers as proof of adequate protection from rabies rather than an actual live rabies virus challenge. Dr. Schultz and I are both personally committed to work towards changing the current requirements before the end of the trials.

3. Question: What makes you believe that if an owner does not vaccinate their dog every three years because of the reaction the dog may have to the vaccination, that that same owner WILL get the dog vaccinated every five years?

Dr. Dodds' Reply: We don't, but, if the law is changed , then a dog will only need one more booster in midlife and none in old age - a bigger issue if they're frail or ill. Also, remember that some states and locales within states still mandate annual rabies boosters ! In Wichita, KS and Cheyenne, WY a huge recent blitz of officials challenging their ignorant position of annual rabies vaccination resulted in the city ordinances being changed for the future. Much of this effort was spearheaded by Kris Christine and the RCF.

Question: As we all know, there’s a fine line between scientific experiments that are worthwhile for the benefits of those in the future and there are those experiments that are more harmful than what will benefit anyone in the long run! I am a firm believer that the end must justify the means and I, at this point, am not convinced that the ends of this experiment justifies the means, mainly due to the fact that I’m unsure as to how many animals, per year, truly suffer from five vaccinations in their lifetimes, rather than just three !

Dr. Dodds' Answer: Rabies vaccine is the strongest of all vaccines available today, and so elicits the highest likelihood of adverse events , including death. I deal with these tragedies almost every day from all over North America -- as does Dr. Schultz.

Actually, this is what does and will happen -- once a rabies vaccine is licensed for 5 years, a puppy would receive 2 initial doses, and then one more dose 5 years after the second one. IF we can show that a rabies vaccine can be effective and licensed for 7 years, then the dog will require one more vaccine 7 years after the second one. As it now stands, dogs are required to get a rabies booster either annually or every three years after the second one -- depending on the applicable state or local laws, and so when these privately cared for dogs become older and ill or frail - even with life-threatening diseases, most states and locales refuse to grant exemptions from rabies boosters even with justification provided by the primary care veterinarian and/or a high level of rabies antibody titer.
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The following information was compiled by Kris L. Christine:

Were the states to extend their rabies booster requirements without USDA Title 9, part 113.209 challenge studies, accept rabies titers in lieu of vaccination, or recognize the 1992 French rabies challenge study results demonstrating a minimum 5 year duration of immunity, this research would not be necessary. The Rabies Challenge Fund seeks to save the lives of thousands of dogs and millions of others from suffering vaccinal adverse reactions.

If the USDA does not change their vaccine licensing requirements upon which all state rabies immunizations laws are currently based, Title 9 Part 113.209, by the time the first challenge is conducted in 4 1/2 years, then 35 of the dogs will be required to be euthanized and their brain tissue tested for rabies according to USDA's standard. Dr. Dodds and Dr. Schultz are committed to trying to get the USDA to change that requirement, and we're all very much hoping that they will be successful.

Looking specifically at the number of dogs for whom "death" is an adverse reaction to rabies shots within days (not taking into account those which develop cancers and other disorders over the course of several weeks or months) of vaccination, 1,250 dogs a year could be saved if the challenge studies are successful and states adopt the extended booster protocols.

The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association has published a report in its April 1, 2008 issue, Vol. 232, No. 7, entitled: Postmarketing Surveillance of Rabies Vaccines for Dogs to Evaluate Safety and Efficacy."

Despite the extreme under-reporting of vaccinal adverse reactions, this report states on the second page that between April 1, 2004 and March 31, 2007, the Center for Veterinary Biologics, "nearly 10,000 adverse event reports (all animal species) were received by manufacturers of rabies vaccines..........Approximately 65% of the manufacturer's reports involved dogs."

The report further states on the second page that: "Rabies vaccines are the most common group of biological products identified in adverse event reports received by the CVB," and they give the following description of the adverse reaction followed by the % of dogs affected: Vomiting-28.1%, Facial Swelling-26.3%, Injection Site Swelling or Lump-19.4%, Lethargy-12%, Urticaria-10.1%, Circulatory shock-8.3%, Injection site pain-7.4%, Pruritus-7.4%, Injection site alopecia or hair loss-6.9%, Death-5.5%, Lack of Consciousness-5.5, Diarrhea-4.6%, Hypersensitivity (not specified)-4.6%, Fever-4.1%, Anaphylaxis-2.8%, Ataxia-2.8%, Lameness-2.8%, General signs of pain-2.3%, Hyperactivity-2.3%, Injection site scab or crust-2.3%, Muscle tremor-2.3%, Tachycardia-2.3%, and Thrombocytopenia-2.3%.

Veterinarians are not required by law to report adverse reactions to vaccines, to which the World Small Animal Veterinary Association stated in their 2007 Vaccine Guidelines that there is: "gross under-reporting of vaccine-associated adverse events which impedes knowledge of the ongoing safety of these products," and in an article entitled, A New Approach to Reporting Medication and Device Adverse Effects and Product Problems, (JAMA - June 2, 1993. Vol.269, No.21. p.2785) Dr. David Kessler, former head of the Food & Drug Administration, reported that "only about 1% of serious events are reported to the FDA."

In light of the 10,000 adverse reactions to the rabies vaccine in the JAVMA report, 65% of which were in dogs, the estimated 1% reporting of "serious" events by the former head of the FDA means that the actual number of dogs that had adverse reactions to the vaccine would be more like 650,000 -- applying the 5.5% figure given by the CVB resulting in death indicates that 3,750 died over the same 3 year period (1,250 a year or 6,250 over the course of 5 years, or 8,750 over the course of 7 years).

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