[Cagdu] FW: Rabies vaccination Law Changes

[Tina Thomas]

Subject:

The Alarming Proposed Bill That Could Threaten Your Pet's Life April 29,
2013 By Dr. Becker Today I'm interviewing a very special guest, Dr. Jean
Dodds , about new rabies vaccine legislation proposed in California that
also has the potential to spread to other states - including the one you
live in.
Proposed California Legislation Requires Too-Early Rabies Vaccine for
Puppies I asked Dr. Dodds to first explain what California Assembly Bill AB
272 is all about.
She responded that the bill was proposed by public health officials in Los
Angeles County to lower the rabies vaccine age requirement for puppies in
the state of California from 16 weeks to 12 weeks. One of the problems with
the bill is that it was introduced by a new assembly member. In fact, it was
likely his first bill, and it contained factual errors.
Dr. Dodds and other members of the veterinary and pet owner communities who
don't want to be required by law to vaccinate dogs earlier than they really
need it were very concerned about the bill.
Who Is Behind the Legislation - and Why?
I asked Dr. Dodds how the idea for the bill even came about - was it being
pushed by California veterinarians? Dr. Dodds replied that it's a rather
curious situation, because in fact, most California veterinarians aren't
aware of a need, nor do they believe there's a need to move up the timing of
a puppy's first rabies vaccination.
(But Dr. Dodds did find it a bit disconcerting that the DVM who heads the
California Veterinary Medical Board said in 30 years of practice he's never
seen an adverse reaction to a rabies vaccine. She found that quite
astounding.) The idea for the legislation seems to have originated with the
acting director of the public health group in L.A. County, Dr. Karen Ehnert,
a veterinarian. Apparently there's been some concern about the increase in
cases of bat rabies in the county, but according to Dr. Dodds, the numbers
don't add up.
Dr. Ehnert has stated there were 4.5 times as many cases of bat rabies as
normal, when the number is actually only 2.5 times more. Regardless, as Dr.
Dodds makes clear, there have been no cases of dog rabies in the Los Angeles
area since 2010. Further, there were only three cases of dog rabies in all
of California from 2007 to 2010, and some of those involved animals that
came in from out of state.
California Seems Confused About Rabies Requirements in Other States One of
the things Dr. Dodds and others are worried about is that the bill presented
to the legislature claims California is only one of two states that doesn't
require rabies vaccination at 12 weeks for dogs.
This is absolutely NOT correct.
 There are only 12 states that
suggest
 rabies vaccination at 12 weeks, and they don't mandate it - only suggest
it. There are 14 states that mandate the vaccine at 16 weeks of age, one
state at five months, and several at six months.
The remaining states rely on the rabies compendium, which does not say
puppies should be vaccinated at 12 weeks. On the contrary, the rabies
vaccine licensure states that puppies can  be vaccinated at 12 weeks, but it
does not recommend nor require it at 12 weeks.
I mentioned to Dr. Dodds that when I read about the cases of bat rabies and
related stats, the species to be concerned about would seem to be cats, not
dogs. She agrees and adds that if there's legislation needed, it should
involve insuring cats are also vaccinated for rabies. According to the
statistics, there were a high number of cats positive for rabies in L.A.
County, but AB 272 doesn't address cats.
I asked Dr. Dodds what other types of misinformation she uncovered in the
bill. She replied that the bill makes it sound as though if the age for
vaccinating puppies for rabies isn't lowered, rabies will become rampant in
the population. Another problem is that the rabies compendium was
misinterpreted to say that dogs MUST be vaccinated at 12 weeks, when what it
actually says is puppies could be vaccinated not earlier than 12 weeks. Not
only do rabies vaccinations NOT have to be done at 12 weeks, most states
don't vaccinate that early, and Dr. Dodds would not recommend that timing
for any state.
Risks of Too-Early Rabies Vaccinations
Next I asked Dr. Dodds to talk about her concerns about vaccinating puppies
too early in life.
She explained that at 12 weeks, puppies are at a critical age for
socialization.
This is around the time they leave their litters and go to new homes. They
are also receiving combination vaccines for core diseases like distemper and
adenovirus, and in some regions they're also receiving Lyme , leptospirosis
and/or other non-core vaccines. They're getting what are called
"combo-wombo" vaccines at the critical age of 12 weeks when the immune
system is just beginning to mature and may be unable to handle the
immunological challenge of multiple vaccines.
Puppies at this age are getting lots of vaccinations, leaving their litters,
going to new homes, adjusting to new environments including new food, and
possibly the presence of children and other pets. Now we want to take these
poor puppies and give them another very strong, neurogenic vaccine at the
same time - a vaccine that can be affected and neutralized by residual
maternal immunity. This is worrisome. This is not the time, in Dr. Dodds
view or mine, to give an additional vaccination on top of the other vaccines
and all the other changes puppies are dealing with.
How Residual Maternal Immunity Can Affect Vaccines I asked Dr. Dodds to
explain what happens when a puppy is vaccinated while there is still the
potential for maternal antibody interference.
She explained that when you give a vaccine antigen, which is the protein of
the virus or bacteria you're immunizing against, you actually neutralize any
existing antibody directed specifically against that same antigen. So let's
say that at 12 weeks, a puppy still has residual distemper virus immunity
from the mother. If you give that puppy the distemper virus vaccine, it will
neutralize some of the existing immunity against the virus, leaving the
animal vulnerable until the new antibodies from the vaccine take over.
For distemper, that window of vulnerability can be relatively short. For
parvo, it can be much longer. Parvovirus 2c, the new virulent strain in the
U.S., is highly contagious and can be very serious in young puppies. We
don't want to create a vulnerability window by vaccinating puppies with
existing maternal immunity and then assuming they are fully protected. They
must receive the vaccine after 16 weeks for that assurance.
Other Risks Associated with Too-Early Rabies Vaccination I asked Dr. Dodds
if she has any other concerns about rabies vaccines in puppies under 16
weeks of age. Her response was that vaccines are not "sterile water."
They're full of adjuvants and other substances that stimulate the immune
system. They contain fetal calf serum. They contain activators. The purpose
of vaccines is to stimulate the immune system in a very powerful way so it
will produce antibodies.
When we've got young puppies who are going through all kinds of life changes
- physical and psychological - their immune systems will be suppressed to
some degree by the stress of all they are experiencing for the first time.
We don't want to overdo vaccinations at this critical time if we don't have
to.
So it's possible that a puppy with residual maternal immunity against rabies
who receives a rabies vaccination too early may wind up unprotected against
the disease.
And if for some reason that dog doesn't receive a follow-up vaccination a
year later, he could live his whole life unprotected from rabies. Since the
whole point of vaccinations is to provide protection against disease, it
doesn't make any sense to time vaccines such that immunity may not be
achieved.
Dr. Dodds explained that some animals don't mount very good rabies immunity.
That's why two initial vaccinations are given within 12 months to insure
that all pets are actually immunized - not just vaccinated. There's a big
difference between giving a vaccination and creating immunity . I think
sometimes even veterinarians forget that distinction.
Another concern is that all but two types of rabies vaccines contain
thimerosal, which is mercury, and we really don't want to give mercury to
animals with their vaccines.
Dangers of Adverse Rabies Vaccine Reactions I asked Dr. Dodds to talk about
what we are looking at in terms of potential vaccine reactions if California
AB 272 is passed. Because most traditional veterinarians view vaccine
reactions as either anaphylaxis (type I allergic reaction) or a type II
reaction involving facial swelling, trouble breathing, hives, and other
visible signs of an allergic response. But there are also delayed reactions
that most vets don't really think about, and don't often associate with
vaccines.
If we're vaccinating puppies with a very strong, adjuvanted vaccine at a
younger age, what should pet owners look for in terms of potential vaccine
reactions?
Dr. Dodds responded that she wishes she had a dollar for every frantic call
she gets from a pet owner or veterinarian about an adverse reaction from a
rabies vaccination.
Many vets, including those at veterinary teaching hospitals, get confused
about just what you described - the type I/type II more immediate reactions
vs. delayed reactions.
In fact, according to Dr. Dodds there were two puppies in New Jersey that
had severe rabies vaccine reactions seven days post-vaccination. Most
delayed reactions occur between seven and 21 days after vaccination, but
some don't occur for up to 45 days.
These two puppies were referred to a veterinary teaching hospital in the
Northeast, and the owners were told the problem couldn't be a rabies vaccine
reaction because it was too long after the shots were given.
What you see very often with delayed reactions in young puppies are very
disturbing symptoms like seizures or severe, adverse temperament changes
such as irritability, snapping, or acting dazed. These puppies can exhibit
odd behaviors like "fly-snapping"
and staring at the ceiling. The seizures are of course very worrisome,
because many people assume young puppies with seizures have congenital
epilepsy. In fact, there have been instances where veterinarians have told
owners they bought their dog from an irresponsible breeder who breeds
epileptic dogs, when in fact the animal is having a delayed adverse reaction
to a rabies vaccination. Dr. Dodds even knows of veterinary neurologists who
don't recognize the symptoms as an adverse vaccine reaction.
As Dr. Dodds explains, vaccine reactions can destroy joints, cause high
fevers, and even cause the animal to scream out in pain when touched. They
can destroy red blood cells and platelets. They can destroy the liver. But
the scariest reactions involve neurological behavioral changes. Some of
these puppies wind up abandoned or euthanized when all that was needed was
detoxification support to address the rabies vaccinosis  reaction.
Dr. Dodds feels very uncomfortable that veterinarians and pet owners are not
being taught to recognize the adverse effects of rabies and other vaccines.
Distemper vaccine reactions can also involve neurological signs, especially
if the vaccine contains modified live virus -- the Rockborn strain of virus
- that is known to produce post-vaccinal encephalitis. So we're talking
about post-vaccinal encephalitis from adjuvanted rabies vaccines with lots
of immune system stimulants as well as from modified live distemper virus
vaccines.
Pet Owners CAN Make a Difference!
Hopefully in states with this type of rabies vaccine legislation in the
works, pet owners will get involved - because this will impact everyone's
pet. Another thing to keep in mind is if you're forced to have your dog
vaccinated for rabies at 12 weeks, you'll want to be in touch with a
holistic vet who can provide detoxification support.
Dr. Dodds also suggests visiting the
Rabies Challenge Fund
 website. Dr. Dodds and Kris Christine are the co-trustees of the fund. Kris
Christine has worked tirelessly to get uniform acceptance of a three-year
booster requirement for rabies vaccines throughout the U.S. The site
contains a wealth of information on pending and existing legislation and
instructions on how to write to your congressional representatives to help
them understand or learn more about the issue. (You can find your
legislators here , and we encourage you to contact them to oppose AB 272.)
For CA AB 272 information, including Dr. Dodds' email exchanges with Dr.
Karen Ehnert, visit this page  of the Rabies Challenge Fund site.
Will the California Bill Influence Other States?
Dr. Dodds pointed out that in Michigan, as another example, there's an
unscheduled bill before the Agriculture Committee to require commercial
puppy mills to vaccinate dogs for rabies at 12 weeks. The rest of the puppy
population can wait until 16 weeks of age. This makes no sense. Puppies in
these mills live in overcrowded, sometimes truly horrendous conditions. Why
would we stress these animals even more by giving them a too-early rabies
vaccine?
I asked Dr. Dodds if she thinks states beyond California will begin
reviewing their rabies vaccine policies. She made the point that California
tends to lead these initiatives . and it seems to be leading in the wrong
direction on some issues lately.
Dr. Dodds wanted to make one final point about the situation in California.
She wants to remind pet owners that 40 percent of dogs in California have
never received a rabies vaccination. Nobody knows where these dogs are -
they are unlicensed and unvaccinated.
Californians need to focus on where those animals are, because they
jeopardize everyone
- animals and humans alike. Rather than have responsible pet owners
vaccinate their dogs earlier, the focus should be on this very large
population of unlicensed, unvaccinated, "missing" dogs.
I certainly agree. As
Dr. Ronald Schultz
 always says, the animals that are vaccinated need fewer vaccines. And those
that aren't need immunologic protection.
1,792
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