Annual Vaccinations: Be Informed A LIRE-A LIRE..............

[Amateur de chiens - Dog Lovers]

http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/annual_vaccinations/

Written by Dr. Jeannie Thomason on December 10, 2010. Posted in Vaccine Articles and News3 Comments

by:  Dr. Jeannie Thomason

In 2008, Elizabeth Hart’s dog died within days of receiving an annual booster on “core” vaccines. Vaccination boosters are not only unnecessary but in most cases cause adverse reactions and even death. This devastating experience started Elizabeth on a long journey of exhaustive research and frustrated dealings with the veterinary profession and regulators.

The basic issue, she believes, is one of informed consent and that pet owners should be properly informed of the risks.
Elizabeth states: “my argument is against unnecessary vaccination of pets that have already responded to core vaccination, as the World Small Animal Veterinary Association’s (WSAVA) Guidelines for the Vaccination of Dogs and Cats note that “…duration of immunity (DOI) is many years and may be up to the lifetime of the pet.” (Ref: WSAVA 2010 guidelines: http://www.wsava.org/PDF/Misc/VaccinationGuidelines2010.pdf)

It is unacceptable that dogs be subjected to unnecessary interventions that can cause harm. The ‘informed consent’ of the pet owner should be obtained before any intervention takes place.

If pet owners want to verify that their dog has responded to core vaccination, they can opt for a titre test. (I understand titre testing is available for around $90-$100 from some vets.) I have seen no evidence that repeated titre testing is necessary.

On the topic of adverse reactions to vaccination, the WSAVA 2010 guidelines acknowledge that “there is gross under-reporting of adverse events which impedes knowledge of the ongoing safety of these products”.

The WSAVA 2010 guidelines also warn “we should aim to reduce the ‘vaccine load’ on individual animals in order to minimize the potential for adverse reactions to vaccine products.”

Want to learn more about vaccines and adverse reactions?  Listen to these Animal Talk Naturally podcasts featuring Dr. Stephen B lack and Dr. Patricia Jordan.

Dr. Stephen Blake

Part 1 |  Part 2 | Part 3

Dr. Patricia Jordan

Part 1 |  Part 2 |  Part 3