BOOSTER VACCINATIONS

BOOSTER VACCINATIONS: Are they more harmful than good?


One of the most practiced actions taken with our pets is often done so without question. Every year, we get a reminder card from our veterinarian that our beloved pets are due for their annual routine vaccinations. But the idea that these yearly booster shots are necessary is one of the biggest hoaxes in the practice of veterinary medicine---and most of us bought it hook, line and sinker.

We must question the myth that vaccinations are necessary and not harmful. There is absolutely NO science indicating that annual booster vaccinations are necessary. The practice of revaccinating or over-vaccinating is more likely to jeopardize our pets’ health than keep them healthy. How many of you are constantly taking your pets to the vet for skin problems, ear infections, yeast infections, autoimmune disease and allergic reactions? There is very likely a correlation between over-vaccination, also called vaccinosis, and these very serious health issues. The cost is devastating, not only to our pocketbooks, but also, most importantly, to our pets.

Let’s go back in history a bit to get a better picture of this very serious revaccination program, which is unquestionably making our pets, very sick. Do you remember that years ago it was common for pets to live long and healthy lives? Today, pets are getting cancer, having immune-deficiency problems, and in general not living the long lives that they used to. In the 1950s, an epidemic of animal diseases prompted pharmaceutical companies to develop vaccines to protect our animals from potentially deadly diseases, and we eagerly sought protection for our pets. The greed of the pharmaceutical companies and veterinarians exploited this to promote a merit-less yearly booster-vaccination protocol.

A direct quote from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA):

“The one-year revaccination recommendation found on many vaccine labels is often based on historical precedent and was allowed by USDA regulation since it was based on the best scientific knowledge available at that time, which did not necessarily include product specific data. Even in those cases where scientific data were submitted to qualify a revaccination label claim, the data generally targeted a minimum duration of immunity and did not necessarily resolve the question regarding average or maximum duration of immunity.”

We didn’t know any better, and our pets got sicker and sicker. A growing population of concerned pet owners and holistic veterinarians began to question this yearly revaccination protocol and found that there is no clear evidence to prove its efficacy. We, humans, do not get revaccinated every year for polio, chicken pox, and the like, yet we do the equivalent of that to our pets.

In the last 5 years, ALL 27 veterinary schools have come on board, admitting that yearly vaccinations are not required, and are more likely to be causing health problems.

There has been much controversy around this issue, because yearly vaccinations bring your vet a dependable income. Vaccines cost veterinarians approximately 80 cents per vaccine; we are charged approximately $15- $25. Then, while we’re in the vet’s office once a year, we are being sold on other new-fangled products. Today, the AVMA and veterinary schools are saying that a 3-year booster-vaccination program is more acceptable. But this statement, too, has no science behind it.

In Current Veterinary Therapy, Dr. Ronald D. Schultz, Ph.D., D.V.M. Chair of the Department of Pathobiological Sciences at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, writes, “A practice that was started many years ago and that lacks scientific validity or verification is annual revaccinations. Almost without exception there is no immunologic requirement for annual revaccination. Immunity to viruses persists for years or for the life of the animal. Successful vaccination to most bacterial pathogens produces an immunologic memory that remains for years, allowing an animal to develop a protective anamnestic (secondary) response when exposed to virulent organisms. Only the immune response to toxins requires boosters (eg: tetanus in humans), and no toxin vaccines are currently used for dogs or cats. Furthermore, revaccination with most viral vaccines fails to stimulate an anamnestic (secondary) response as a result of interference by existing antibody (similar to maternal antibody interference). The practice of annual vaccination in our opinion should be considered of questionable efficacy unless it is used as a mechanism to provide an annual physical examination or is required by law (i.e.: rabies vaccinations in some states).”


The driving forces behind this vaccination protocol are politics and corporate profit, NOT the health of our pets. I have asked my clients to randomly call 10 local veterinarians and ask what types of disease are most common today. The answer will undoubtedly be cancer—and the most common surgery besides spay and neuter is tumor removal. Studies have shown that cancer developed at the site of vaccination is very common, especially in cats.


It is up to us to pose the question of booster vaccinations to our veterinarians and find out what their protocol is given each animal’s situation. The vaccination schedule you and your vet choose for your pet should be individualized based on many factors (e.g., indoor only, indoor and outdoor, geographical location, age and health).

Puppies and kittens do require certain vaccinations and this too has changed over the years, so be certain to check with your veterinarian about which vaccines are appropriate and necessary for your pet. Below you will find an updated guide to recommended vaccinations for our pups and kitties.

There are simple tests that you can have your veterinarian perform to check the antibodies for certain diseases. These are called titers. A simple blood titer will tell you whether your pet has enough antibodies to be protected.

I realize that the idea of not vaccinating your pets can be daunting, as we have been brainwashed to vaccinate regularly, but I know from personal experience with my beloved four-leggeds that it’s the right choice.

I have two dogs, two cats, and two horses. I have not vaccinated any of them for anything. I have had my two geldings since they were weanlings; they are now 10 and 3 years old. One of my cats was found at 2 days old in a box in front of a grocery store. I saved the litter and gave away all but two; they are now 10 yrs old, living a wonderful life as indoor/outdoor cats, on a raw diet and thriving. My two dogs are both rescues, one found on the streets of downtown Los Angeles, CA, at around 6 months of age. Going strong at 15, she enjoys a wonderful life on hikes, at the dog park, and working with me on private behavior calls. (She is also on a raw diet.) The other wonder dog is Rascal, an almost 6-yr-old Border Collie/Australian Shepherd mix who was rescued from an abusive home. He was vaccinated when I got him, at 10 months of age, and on a raw diet, as well. I have not vaccinated him since. Last January I lost a German Shepherd who lived to be 13 yrs old, never vaccinated.


RECOMMENDED VACCINES and schedule for puppies and kittens can be found on these two websites: Dr. Jean Dodds, DVM has been instrumental in getting to the truth about vaccinations

http://www.oes.org/page2/7607~New_Vaccine_Protocols.html
http://www.weim.net/emberweims/Vaccine.html

PET VACCINATION INFORMATION


THE NATURE OF ANIMAL HEALING: The Definitive Holistic Medicine Guide to Caring for Your Dog and Cat
By Martin Goldstein, D.V.M.

SHIRLEY'S WELLNESS CAFÉ: http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/
This site has a wealth of information about everything pet-related— vaccines, quotes from vets, updates, current vaccine legislation, books and articles, too.

DR. FALCONER'S DISCUSSION OF VACCINES:
http://www.thedapperdog.com/vacc1.html
An article discussing the efficacy and safety of vaccines as well as titer testing.

ALTERNATIVE VETERINARY MEDICINE: a wonderful site about alternatives for our pets. This is an article by Dr. Susan Wynn, DVM
http://www.altvetmed.org/articles/vaccinations.html

DR. PITCAIRN'S DISCUSSION OF VACCINES AND VACCINOSIS:
http://www.cyberpet.com/dogs/articles/health/vaccin.htm



Jill Breitner, Shewhisperer, has a degree in Animal Science and has worked as a behavioral specialist/dog whisperer for 30 years. Learn more about Jill at: www.shewhisperer.com