Over 99% of Vaccine Reactions go Unreported
 

Over 99% Of Vaccine Reactions Go Unreported In Dogs And Cats | Dogs Naturally Magazine

Over 99% Of Vaccine Reactions Go Unreported In Dogs And Cats

Pet vaccines have recently come under fire as their inherent dangers are becoming more and more recognized. You’d have to be pretty much living in a cave if you haven’t seen the recent onslaught of information questioning the safety of vaccines. But suffice it to say that, like any other pharmaceutical product, there are both risks and benefits to vaccines. The risks range from mild inflammation to allergies, hypothyroidism and even sudden anaphylactic shock.


Who’s Reporting Vaccine Reactions In Dogs And Cats?

Well, this is where it gets worrisome.
Let’s assume that you take your dog or puppy in for a vaccination and she suffers a vaccine reaction. Now it would have to something very sudden and severe in the first place for most vets to even call it a vaccine reaction. Although vaccine reactions can take weeks, months or even years to develop (think of allergies, joint disease, renal disease or hypothyroidism), in the majority of cases, vets only think of vaccine reactions if the dog suffers classic symptoms like sudden explosive diarrhea, lethargy and pain within a few hours of the vaccine.


Now you might think that vets are better able to see vaccine reactions and are eager to report them. However less than 1% of human vaccine adverse reactions get reported to the FDA. Less than 1%. I’d wager that that it’s even lower for veterinary vaccines.
But unlike human vaccine reactions, veterinary vaccine reactions don’t get reported to the FDA.




So Who’s Keeping Track Of Those Vaccine Reactions?

The CVB (the Center for Veterinary Biologics), a division of the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) is responsible for approving and labelling and veterinary vaccines, and for tracking adverse events.
Here’s a little story about how good a job the CVB does at monitoring vaccine safety.


In September 2013, veterinarian Ron Hines received two letters from dog owners whose dogs had died after receiving the lepto vaccine. So he called the veterinarian’s inquiry line at the CVB and was informed that adverse reactions wouldn’t be discussed with him – that they were “proprietary” and property of the vaccine manufacturers.


What? We aren’t allowed to see the reports of adverse events? No wonder people think vaccine reactions are rare.
Unlike pet foods and drugs, there’s no place where vets, or even you and I, can find reports on their safety.
Think about all the dogs that died from melamine poisoning a few years back. Now imagine that happening without any reporting to the FDA and without pet owners having a place to find the reports on what foods were poisoning pets.


This is what is happening now with vaccines. We have nowhere to go to find out about their safety.
So since Dr Hines didn’t have access to the adverse reports for those lepto vaccines, he asked the CVB to view the initial safety studies on them. The CVB again refused to share that information.


“You can see all bad reaction reports on the vaccines you take anytime – they are posted online.” says Hines. “But you are not allowed to see the same information when it comes to your pet.”

So Dr Hines filed a Freedom of Information Request and although the CVB told him it wasn’t possible, in December of 2013, he was finally able to see the adverse reports involving lepto vaccines.


But neither of the dogs who died were in those reports.
How could that be?
Well, it seems that 90% of adverse reactions don’t get reported to the CVB. They go directly to the vaccine manufacturers.


This Is Where It Gets Weird

What happens when an adverse vaccine reaction gets reported to the vaccine manufacturer, which happens 90% of the time? They’re required to pass those reports to the CVB, right?
Wrong. The only time the CVB receives adverse reports from the vaccine manufacturers is if they request them. And from what Dr Hines learned, that’s a rare occurrence.
So the reports on those two dogs, and I’d wager thousands of others, who reportedly died from after vaccination weren’t monitored or seen by anybody but the vaccine manufacturers.


Let’s recap …
Only 1% of adverse reactions to vaccines are likely to be reported
Of those, 90% are reported to the vaccine manufacturer directly, but not the CVB
When the vaccine manufacturers receive those reports, they are not obligated to send them to the CVB and the CVB doesn’t routinely request them.
The minuscule number of reports that do reach the CVB aren’t accessible to vets or the general public. There is no way for vets and pet owners to find out just how many adverse reactions are caused by vaccines.
What kind of messed up system is that?


What Can We Do To Change This?

If you suspect your dog or cat has suffered an adverse event from a vaccine, then make sure your vet fills out a report with the CVB. Here is the link – make sure you stand over his shoulder while it’s completed or it may never reach the CVB. Note that you can’t make a report without first contacting the vaccine manufacturer. Don’t let it end there – the CVB must be contacted directly.


Finally, here is some good news and a request from Dr Hines:
“On Jan 8, 2014, I received an email from the Center For Veterinary Biologics informing me that they plan to change their policy and make vaccine manufacturers report all undesirable (adverse) vaccine reactions to them. The pharmaceutical companies will not be pleased. They have their lobbyists, but there is no one in Washington lobbying for you and your pet. You need to let the CVB and your congressmen know that you support the CVB’s decision. Add that the information needs to be posted on the CVB website in a understandable/readable manner for pet owners like you – just as the FDA posts adverse event reports for the vaccines you and your family receive on their site to help you make wise decisions.”


Please let the CVB know that you demand better of them. This will be a long and bloody fight, but it’s a battle worth winning.

Thank you for posting this.......I read this a few years ago and was stunned. This is why people have the false belief that reactions are rare. When we see the reported number for some kind of suspected reaction the actual number is actually quite higher.

The other problem is a lot of vets don't recognize most reactions. They are only familiar with an immediate reaction. Some reactions won't show for up to 45 days. How many times has a reaction been called a "coincidence" when it happens a day or two later or even weeks later. How many times has someone posted that their pup has suddenly developed seizures, allergies, or even, Autoimmune hemolytic anemia and been told it's just a coincidence? We can't rely on the vet to report reactions we have to do this ourselves so we can get a better understanding as to how frequently this is happening.

I am sick in bed, but had to respond just briefly. I don't have time to go through all of this, nor do I feel well enough. Suffice it to say that I clicked on just two links and the second one said that distemper is rare......whoever said that is to quote the first article, "living in a cave"'
I hear of distemper cases all of the time!
The ONLY reason it is not rampant is because of vaccines.
And, of course we all hear of parvo all of the time.
My only hope is that all of this pounding the boards of the risks of vaccines does not stop people from properly immunizing their pups. YES, there are risks, but the risk FAR outweighs the benefits.
Playing Russian Roulette with my pups' health is NOT an option.
You all know how many I have had in my home and probably more than you can imagine and they are not dying right and left from vaccines. Any reactions they have had have been relatively minor. Happens with humans as well.

Even though it is preached on here not to get the lepto vaccine my dogs are 8 and have never had a reaction to it. They are also healthy and never had any health problems associated with it or any other vaccines. They have never had a reaction to any vaccine

There you go again saying things like people have false beliefs. I know you think everyone but you is stupid and just need enlightening and that veterinarians have no good sense of reactions. But honestly vets aren't the imbeciles you make them out to be. The reason people don't report reactions is because they don't occur at the alarming rate that you claim they do. Any dog having a reaction should see a vet. Any dog with a problem should see a vet, and IMO, not a holistic one. I have a seizure dog and it galls me to no end when people claim he might have gotten it from vaccines or diets or any other of the conjecture conspiracy theories put forth by the holistic machine. Lol. I am vaccinating my dogs and there are living into ripe old age regardless.

See...told you I am sick! I meant the BENEFITS FAR OUTWEIGH THE RISKS

Here we go again! Distemper is NOT RARE in the wild animal population. My sister had a raccoon on her roof a few years ago when her doberman was a puppy. Thankfully, she was vaccinated against this so when they went out into their yard to see what all the noise on their roof was and took Bella with she was protected. They have a neighbor who does wild animal rehab and asked her to come over to help with what they could tell was a sick animal. The first thing she asked when she saw Bella in the yard was whether or not she was vaccinated against distemper. She went on to say that it is VERY COMMON for raccoons to spread distemper and because they live in urban areas to always make sure your pet has been properly vaccinated. It's the same as some parents choosing not to vaccinate against childhood diseases. My uncle who is not 92 yrs old had polio as a child. Thankfully, he was able to overcome the that effected the left side of his body. To this day he talks about all of the people that were saved by the invention of the Polio vaccine and were saved from this dreaded disease. It really bothers me when the holistic believes start beating the drum of conspiracy regarding vaccines for both humans and animals. They are necessary to protect the greater population whether it be animals or humans. I also don't get the entire "OMG my pet is going to die from anesthesia" thing. To play of the holistic hocus pocus they must always place fear and doubt into the discussion instead of proven scientific facts. When the facts can't be produced the claim is then to offer conspiracy against government regulations. I don't buy it, not for one second.

[Qute] "There you go again saying things like people have false beliefs. I know you think everyone but you is stupid and just need enlightening and that veterinarians have no good sense of reactions. But honestly vets aren't the imbeciles you make them out to be. The reason people don't report reactions is because they don't occur at the alarming rate that you claim they do. Any dog having a reaction should see a vet. Any dog with a problem should see a vet, and IMO, not a holistic one. I have a seizure dog and it galls me to no end when people claim he might have gotten it from vaccines or diets or any other of the conjecture conspiracy theories put forth by the holistic machine. Lol. I am vaccinating my dogs and there are living into ripe old age regardless." [Quote]


You have been on this board long enough to know other members are allowed to voice their opinions even though it may differ from another members opinion. Just because I voice another point of view is no reason to insult or degrade my posts.

I'll clarify for you as to my reference as to why most vets don't recognize vaccine reactions, especially if it's a delayed reaction, is based on Dr. Schultz's studies. This is not coming from my opinion, this information is coming from Dr. Schultz, who has spoken often about this subject. I didn't just pull this out of the blue, Dr. Schultz is a world renowned researcher so I think he may know a little more about this than you do. It might be to your befit to read some of his work to familiarize yourself with his findings. I think he may know a thing or two in this area.

I see what you tried to do here.... This is not a holistic issue it's an issue about vaccines and how to do them it a safe way for our pets to be protected without adding unnecessary risks by administering unneeded vaccines. The Op posted about underreported reactions and I was agreeing with this issue. I never said not to vaccine, so I don't know why this is brought up concerning my post???

Distemper is not rare in domestic animals either.

Bottom line is that the research has shown that we have over vaccinated dogs in the past. AAHA is very aware of this and has revised its guidelines. I don't think anyone would argue that point.

The problem as I see it is that many people read these things and assume that vaccines are bad and/or unnecessary. That is a very scary thing.

Here .. read this and remember it can also happen in dogs. People become so overly afraid of vaccines that they lose common sense somewhere along the line and don't protect their children:

O.C. measles outbreak spurs officials to call for immunizations - latimes.com


For those of you who think it is safe to not vaccinate your pups, I strongly suggest you buy him/her a bubble to live in. Definitely don't take him/her to dog parks!!

I agree LJ, I don't want anyone to be so fearful that they forgo all vaccines, but I also don't like to give the impression they are without risks too. But I do believe reactions are real, especially for the smaller breeds. I just want people to be aware that a reaction COULD happen and to be very attuned in the coming weeks after a vaccine is administered to any problems their pup may be exhibiting and to report it so we can get a better understanding as to how big or small this issue is.

One percent reporting is a disgrace, this has to improve because without this information this kind of debate about whether the risk significant or not will always be a debatable.This information would also help in determining if a particle vaccine has a side effect and another doesn't. It would be fir all our best interests if we just made it a law and make reporting mandatory.

I didnt see you say not to vaccinate. I think what LJ is saying is people see threads like this and they become fearful to vaccinate

I posted this to let you all know that we have a place to report vaccine reactions...should it ever happen, it is rare.

Should have put a disclaimer that core puppy shots & 1st annual booster are important & it can save your pet's life. Rabies are according to law.

If your vet is still wanting to vaccinate your pet(s) every year, please look for another or tell them no. It's your choice. If a certain shot is needed every year bc it is prevalent in your area (like lepto or giardia) , these are not core shots), then this should be discussed w/your vet.

If adverse reactions from vaccines are going to happen, they most likely will happen on the 2nd or 3rd set of puppy shots, sometimes on the 1st annual booster & so on. If reactions happen, it does not get better but can get worse.

In this case, the pet is given benadryl shot or anti-inflammatory shot (more expensive) to knock out any possible allergic reaction(s). It's best to stay @ the vet's office half an hr - an hr after the vaccines.

We as pet parents need to research all sides, make the best decision for our pets. All the best!

I understand......I was just clarifying my view a bit more in detail. Some people seem to think it was a no vaccine stance I had but it had more to do with fewer to get the job done. :)

I'm sorry mimimomo, for your thread getting hijacked......I do agree that we need to do a better job at reporting, good article addressing this issue. Thanks for posting it. I lets people know they have the option to report a reaction themselves so it's a least on record somewhere.

:thumbup: I so agree w/you there & knew that's what you were stressing. No probs.;)

I didn't see any place where you implied a 'no vaccine' stance at all. I just read it as concerns over unreported reactions, which is a very important issue really.

Yes and that concerns me. The under-reported adverse re-actions.

I never knew that there was not an independent reporting body that accumulated from the vets adverse re-actions to vaccines. It is really quite a bit of madness to report to the vaccine manufacturer, who is not obligated by law to report to an overseeing government body.

That has to change!

So I do believe in vaccines, but not over vaccinating. Also I believe in research. I believe in free accumulating of data to independent bodies.

Without accurate and complete reporting, how can the veterinary medical field make informed decisions and advice?

I don't know how this can be changed into to make it a law but I'm in total agreement this has to change. This is just one study about the actual cases of adverse reactions:

In 2008 The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association published a report just on the rabies vaccine in its April 1, 2008 about the underreporting of vaccine reactions. Titled
"Postmarketing Surveillance of Rabies Vaccines for Dogs to Evaluate
Safety and Efficacy."

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."

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!

When you see these numbers from just one vaccine I don't see how reactions can be looked at as "rare", I consider this is a serious problem with real reason to be concerned. For one thing every vet is supposed to inform the client of all risks before any pharmaceuticals are administered. I really wonder how many pet owners are given this info beforehand??

You know, I get all of you, I really do; but if you realized where your language sends people you might be a tad bit more informative in your posts. I consider myself fairly intelligent and some of your posts do come off as being anti vaccine, anti heartworm, anti dog food, etc. They don't read along the lines that say "we've come a long way baby" but could do more, which is the way I see veterinary medicine with regards to vaccines.

We ALL know there are risks to vaccines and medications in both humans and domestic animals.

My point is that while you all are going on about the vaccines, you are not even acknowledging the fact that this topic IS being addressed and we have come a long way.

When I hear the word "reaction" with regards to a vaccine it comes to my mind that many people automatically think it is a dreadful event. That is just not so....a rise in body temperature and a swelling at the injection site is considered a reaction. I am NOT trying to minimize the seriousness of vaccines; but I just think you all are kind of beating a dead horse at the expense of pups who belong to people who don't understand that AAHA has been addressing the problems with over-vaccination. This is an ongoing thing...I honestly think that it would be much more helpful to have threads that said this rather than to make it sound as if no one is listening or caring.

Here is a link to the AAHA vaccine guidelines as revised in 2011:

https://www.aahanet.org/Library/CanineVaccine.aspx

I don't see why we should not be discussing the issue of over -vaccination. We are always told as pet owners we need to be our pets advocate because they can't speak for themselves. The issues surrounding vaccination and over vaccination is the one issue will have to encounter over and over during our pets lives. So, this issue needs to be discussed at great length so the pet owners can get a greater understanding as to the risks versus benefits of that decision. The obvious conclusion is that pet owners who are concerned about the long term health of their companion animals must take it upon themselves to research vaccines, duration of immunity and vaccine dangers. At the very least, question every vaccine that goes into your animal. Just because some people may run in the other direction out of fear and misunderstanding does not mean that we pet owners should stop discussing this issue.

When we as the pet owner have to educate the professionals there is very little left in the area of trust when they have not earned it. Both the AAHA and the AVMA must do more than they have in their area of pet care. The science has been out for over 25 years yet they only started changing their vaccine schedule in 2003, even then it was not enough when the science proves the DOI is at least 7 years and up to the life of the animal:

The duration of immunity for Rabies vaccine, Canine distemper vaccine, Canine Parvovirus vaccine, Feline Panleukopenia vaccine, Feline Rhinotracheitis, feline Calicivirus, have all been demonstrated to be a minimum of 7 years by serology [blood antibody testing] for rabies and challenge [exposure] studies for all others.

Some veterinarians are regular readers of veterinary journals and attend the seminars of top experts. They’re always up to date on the latest scientific findings regarding vaccination. Others, not so much. So, we can't always direct the pet owner to speak to their vet about overvaccination when some of them are not keeping up on the changing science and are still recommending annuals. There should be no vets doing annuals, but that is not the case.

It is up to us to be educated consumers, to know what we are buying, to know what is needful, and to know what is non-essential to us. Many vets have admitted to Dr. Schultz that they don't care what the pet organizations say they will only change their vaccine protocol when they are forced to. This is a dreadful attitude for our pets. If you are fortunate to have a vet who is changing the way they practice as the science changes then good for you, but not all of us are as fortunate. If the vet refuses to change the way he administers vaccines then this is more reason why we need to educate ourselves and not rely on someone else looking out for our best interests.

You totally missed my point. I have always recommended that people speak with their vets about the AAHA protocols and that IF their vets are not following them, they may want to look elsewhere. Let us not forget that many people go to the cheapest vets they can find and that often means vets who are so out of date and not doing any continuing education. It is another reason I recommend AAHA accredited vets.

IMHO to start threads with a topic that is alarming will only do harm. Mind you, that is MY opinion. I know a lot of pet owners and I see a lot on here who are so terrified of vaccinating that they go the opposite way instead of middle of the road. That is so very sad for their pups. One exposure could be the pup's last....parvo and distemper KILL. That is a fact.

I am all about education, but NOT about fear mongering and whether you choose to believe that some of your statements could instill fear or not, is totally up to you. I feel it is something worth my mentioning since it directly affects those who cannot speak.

You keep mentioning Dr. Schultz....he does titers on his dogs but he is a vet. How much do you think he pays for them? The same as the general population of pet owners? I think not. Even if he did, his income is higher than most. Titers are not cheap. Vaccines are and the AAHA has recognized his work and revised their standards. It is hard enough for vets to get people to bring their pets in for exams and vaccines because of money...can you imagine asking them to pay for titers? Those of us who spend top dollar for quality care for our pets come far and few between. I am always astounded when my vet says what a wonderful pet owner I am when I do something like cook for a sick pup or something else very simple...how sad that she finds me to be an anomaly.

Maybe things are not moving quickly enough for you but Rome was not built in a day. I personally don't believe that adverse reactions are at the numbers that some think they are. I have been a pet owner for many many years and a foster parent to more than I can count off hand and I have never had an anaphylactic type event. Not wishing it on my pups, but just saying....and every single one of them was vaccinated as recommended. In the early years definitely more than they probably should have been, BUT they lived to a ripe old age.

Well, then, look for one! There are plenty of posts on this board about this very topic.

It is just like human medicine. Some vets are better than others and so are some human doctors. It applies to ALL professions.

You have to be an educated consumer.

The subject line is the issue in my mind. No offense to anyone, including Jenny. Maybe it was posted with another intent...I am only speaking from my frame of mind and my experience in speaking with many pet owners over the years. It did not say....How to report vaccine reactions. Maybe that was the point. BUT in my mind many people will read it and think dogs are dying right and left from vaccine reactions and no one is telling anyone.......that is just NOT TRUE.

The point is Linda that we don't actually know the number of adverse reactions to vaccines as elaborated in the article.

That is of huge concern to me, and should be for all dog or cat owners.

In my mind tittering should be as inexpensive as a shot. Yet I pay $242 dollars to titer for Rabies, and the shot is what $30 or so.

That is highway robbery.

There are many threads here on the necessity of vaccines and the timing of same.

This thread is very clear and to those who actually read will undertstand the concepts involved.

I don't see how anything will change without education, so I appreciate this information. I choose to titer because I don't know the long term health affects that vaccines have, but I will definitely immunize if results show that Katie needs to be.

Everyone complains about the costs of medical and veterinary care. It is what it is. The point is that most pet owners will never pay it. Period. As for titers for rabies, most states to my knowledge will not accept it. Can't blame the vets for that one. The laws are there to protect everyone. Rabies is a killer.

Yep, the thread is clear now. :) ;) As to your last comment, I did not totally understand the reason/concept at all. I clicked on two links and was informed that distemper is not common...so it alarmed the daylights out of me. Looked fear mongering and anti vaccine to me......Let me find it.

Click the first link, then click on the first link in that article and you get this:

Pet Vaccination: Risks and Benefits | Dogs Naturally Magazine

Read about distemper, the so called rare disease. Oh, and homeopathic remedies are superior to conventional...blah blah blah. Sorry, but I see all of this as simply a push yet again for holistic treatments...not an educational link about where to report vaccines. While the OP may have meant that, it was not that clear in what I read. I would rather have had something straight from the horse's mouth:
Schultz: Dog vaccines may not be necessary

Somehow Dr. Schultz's research is mentioned, but some of it was just as clear as mud to me.

Well said Linda. The majority of pet owners can't wrap their heads around the need to spay or neuter, clean teeth, or visit the vet once a year. Heck, some can't even dump their dog in rescue and opt for the side of the road.

Titers do not tell the whole story, and that is why many vets don't offer it. The cost is another problem. As an aside, and despite that some on this thread have scolded me and assume I know nothing on the subject, titers may he getting cheaper. Last I heard, Dr Schultz was working with a pharm co on a cheap in house test for vets to use. I don't know the status of it, mostly because I'm not going to do titers, but it might open up the door for more vets to "profiteer" off the titers and stop pushing annual vaccines. Those vets are the problem in my view, and they are also the ones using injectable anesthesia and other questionable and archaic protocols. I wouldn't let them touch my dogs let alone treat them.

Don't bring your business to a vet that you're not on all fours with!! I will agree with you there - as a consumer you have options. I've dumped many vets for less than this kind of philosophical disagreement.