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Originally Posted by 107barney  the rest is hype with an agenda by certain people to change the movement and whether we think that movement is a good one or not |
Hype? While I agree that a lot of times hype can overrule the best of us and there are a lot of falsehoods and blatant lies on the internet surrounding health related issues... over-vaccination is not one of them.
Cathy, I know you've seen this already from me before, but I'm posting for the sake of the OP.
Over-vaccination IS an issue. Is under-vaccination as well? Of course. But I don't think anyone, in this thread anyway, is saying NO vaccines at all. It speaks volumes to me that
some AAHA hospitals are already switching to every 5 years (and I know it'll be a sloooww process). The decision was based on the 2011 AAHA Guidelines which state that DHP should be given no more than every 3 years and that it is effective for greater than 5 years (
http://www.aahanet.org/PublicDocumen...Guidelines.pdf). From what I recall, the 3 year was basically a "compromise". A jump from annually to every 5-7 years would have been huge for most vets.
But, to me, it just proves that all along people WERE being scammed (but more than likely not on purpose). At one point in time, yearly vaccines WERE given and recommended by most vets. This was the 'standard of care' and many folks STILL believe this to be the case. I believe it probably started in the best interest of our pets but ended with annual income in mind (or just ignorance/lack of current education). Then suddenly every 3 years is okay. Now it's 5. Or 5-7 really according to studies. More than likely the lifetime of the dog. This is not new age internet hogwash, but real studies have been done, and the general population still believes that dogs need yearly vaccines, at least the ones I encounter. These are good dog owners who feel they are doing right by their dog by giving them yearly shots when it's simply... bogus.
The thing is, IMO, a lot of vets don't want to give up that money they get from yearly vaccines. Let's face it - most dog owners wouldn't want to fork up the dough to get titers and a majority of people ONLY take their dogs to the vet when they need vaccines (so it IS a way to get pets into the vet, which is a good thing). It is a fairly large money maker for them no matter how you put it. And no, I am not one who thinks all vets are out to get us, or money grubbing, or bad people who want our pets to suffer so they can reap the benefits. Quite the contrary. Now, an owner like me, I'll be at the vet at least once a year anyway for annual check-ups, bloodwork, etc so they'll still get their money from me. But an average owner... does not do this. So I guess in some way I can understand this viewpoint.
Have you had your measles, mumps, and polio titer checked this year?
It's kind of the same concept IMO. Humans get vaccines as kids. We don't continue to check the levels every year (unless a job requires it, for example, or you are ill, traveling, etc). Some get the flu shot every year. But other than that...?? What would the point be? Would getting the chicken pox shot every 3-5 years decrease your chances of getting chicken pox any more than if you got it only once as a baby?
Vaccines ARE important. Very important. Year after year, or even every 3 years? I have no desire.
Unfortunately, with the rabies vaccine, the state has put laws in place, and I DO believe in following those laws reasons stated above. But I still don't believe my dog is anymore protected getting them every 3 years, then he would be getting them every 5-7.
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Originally Posted by 107barney I think that as the law stands today in your state you need to comply with that or suffer the consequences which could include quarantine or worse like euthanasia of your pet. |
I absolutely agree.
(even if I don't agree with the law per say, I AGREE that it is responsible to follow it).
I'm not trying to downplay the seriousness of rabies. Especially for humans where it is nearly 100% fatal (I watched a documentary once of a girl who survived rabies, crazy!
)
But in all of the USA’s history there are no records of rabies being transferred to people through bites from dogs that are kept as pets.
There were 32 human deaths over 16 years from rabies in the US. And in 2012, only 2 people died from rabies in the US. None of these deaths because of dogs. In 2010, 69 dogs died due to rabies. Out of 83.3 million pet dogs in the USA.
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Yes, it’s true that if your pet has already received a round or two of rabies vaccines, he or she is likely to be protected by antibodies against rabies for his or her entire lifetime. In fact, I received the human version of the rabies vaccine in 1991 and my own antibody levels are still quite high. So why force pets to undergo such frequent vaccines? Are they so biologically different?
Not at all. But you might choose to view things differently if your child were bitten by an animal that had been vaccinated only once ... ten years ago, for instance. In the absence of hard science on the subject, human health will always trump animal health in these matters.
Until veterinary science can prove that vaccines last longer than they do, your best bet in the interim is to play it as safe as you can. Make make sure your pet is healthy when vaccinated and only receives his or her rabies shot when administered by a trusted veterinarian whose selection, storage, and handling of the vaccine is likely to adhere to the highest standards of vaccine quality and safety.
Dr. Patty Khuly
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