Rabies Over-Vaccination

For more info, see the Rabies Challenge Fund.

I have seen/read in the news recently that Alabama is considering changing the rabies vaccination requirement for household pets from every year to once every three years. (Currently, it's the only state in the country that requires rabies vaccination every year, and many states are moving to 5 and eventually 7-year increments).

In an open letter to the Alabama governor and state legislature, the founder of The Rabies Challenge Fund, which fights to keep our pets from being over-immunized, writes:

"According to Dr. Ronald Schultz of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine... 'There is no benefit from annual rabies vaccination and most one year rabies products are similar or identical to the 3-year products with regard to duration of immunity and effectiveness.'

"Alabama’s code requiring annual rabies boosters may have been intended to achieve enhanced immunity to the rabies virus by giving the vaccine more often than the federal 3-year licensing standard, but, more frequent vaccination than is required to fully immunize an animal will not achieve further disease protection. Redundant annual rabies shots needlessly expose dogs and cats to the risk of adverse effects while obligating residents to pay unnecessary veterinary medical fees. The American Veterinary Medical Association’s 2001 Principles of Vaccination state that 'Unnecessary stimulation of the immune system does not result in enhanced disease resistance, and may increase the risk of adverse post-vaccination events.'

"Immunologically, the rabies vaccine is the most potent of the veterinary vaccines and ...it is medically unsound for this vaccine to be given more often than is necessary to maintain immunity." (For a list of side effects, and to read the entire letter, click here).

The proposed bill to expand the Alabama rabies requirement to once every third year passed the committee vote (unanimously), but still needs to pass the full Alabama House and Senate votes.

Since the vaccine has been proven effective for up to seven years, I don't know why we have to get rabies vaccines each year. I've quit getting all of the other shots (distemper, parvo, etc.) every year because of the possible effects of over-immunization and will only do them periodically. I only get the rabies vaccine annually for the boys because it's required by law.

My dogs are not boarded, not exposed to kennel cough, and don't have exposure to any rabid animals. Other than Ace's "contact dermatitis" (seriously, what dog do you know that is allergic to GRASS?!) and obsession with biting stinging bumble bees, they're very healthy pets.

I personally witnessed a dog having a severe reaction to it's yearly vaccines this past winter when I took my dogs in for their shots. I'm all for legislation that will protect my dogs' health - in addition to protecting my time and wallet.