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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
<u>2008 REPORT ON RABIES VACCINE ADVERSE REACTIONS IN DOGS</u>

The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association has published a report in its April 1, 2008 issue, Vol. 232, No. 7, entitled: Postmarketing Surveillance of Rabies Vaccines for Dogs to Evaluate Safety and Efficacy."

Despite the extreme under-reporting of vaccinal adverse reactions, this report states on the second page that 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."

The report further states on the second page that: "Rabies vaccines are the most common group of biological products identified in adverse event reports received by the CVB," and they give the following description of the adverse reaction followed by the % of dogs affected: Vomiting-28.1%, Facial Swelling-26.3%, Injection Site Swelling or Lump-19.4%, Lethargy-12%, Urticaria-10.1%, Circulatory shock-8.3%, Injection site pain-7.4%, Pruritus-7.4%, Injection site alopecia or hair loss-6.9%, Death-5.5%, Lack of Consciousness-5.5, Diarrhea-4.6%, Hypersensitivity (not specified)-4.6%, Fever-4.1%, Anaphylaxis-2.8%, Ataxia-2.8%, Lameness-2.8%, General signs of pain-2.3%, Hyperactivity-2.3%, Injection site scab or crust-2.3%, Muscle tremor-2.3%, Tachycardia-2.3%, and Thrombocytopenia-2.3%.

Veterinarians are not required by law to report adverse reactions to vaccines, to which the World Small Animal Veterinary Association stated in their 2007 Vaccine Guidelines that there is: "gross under-reporting of vaccine-associated adverse events which impedes knowledge of the ongoing safety of these products," and in an article entitled, A New Approach to Reporting Medication and Device Adverse Effects and Product Problems, (JAMA - June 2, 1993. Vol.269, No.21. p.2785) Dr. David Kessler, former head of the Food & Drug Administration, reported that "only about 1% of serious events are reported to the FDA."

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!!!!!

World Small Animal Veterinary Association 2007 Vaccine Guidelines http://www.wsava.org/SAC.htm Scroll down to Vaccine Guidelines 2007 (PDF)

A New Approach to Reporting Medication and Device Adverse Effects and Product Problems http://www.vaccinationnews.com/Adverse_Reactions/VAERS/credible_estimates.htm Scroll down to David Kessler statement in JAMA - June 2, 1993,vol.269, No.21, p.2785
 

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If your dogs have been given the vaccine before and just need their next one, is their a less likely chance they will have an adverse reaction?

The reason i ask is all of my dogs are due for their rabies vacs. and none of them have had adverse reactions in the past.
 

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Thanks for the infomation, more people need to educate themselves on the dangers of vaccinations.
 

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Re: 2008 RABIES Vaccine-JAVMA Report Adverse React

Originally Posted By: tibvixie101If your dogs have been given the vaccine before and just need their next one, is their a less likely chance they will have an adverse reaction?

The reason i ask is all of my dogs are due for their rabies vacs. and none of them have had adverse reactions in the past.
I could see an argument in both directions.

Having no previous reactions, they may not be as susceptible as other dogs.

However, vaccines can have a cumulative effect and the odds of an adverse reaction may increase with more vaccines over a lifetime.

Be careful and spread them out -- don't give the rabies combined with other vaccines or medical events.
 

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Discussion Starter · #6 ·
How Often Does He REALLY Need a Rabies Shot? Link

LisaT,

That is excellent advice to not give any other vaccine when giving a rabies shot, and that is what Dr. Ronald Schultz emphatically recommends as well.

More information specifically on the rabies vaccine can be found at the following links if you are interested to learn more:

Animal Wellness Magazine Article Vol. 8 Issue 6, How Often Does he REALLY Need A Rabies Shot Animal Wellness Magazine - devoted to natural health in animals

The Rabies Challenge Animal Wise Radio Interview
Listen to Animal Wise (scroll down to The Rabies Challenge 12/9/07)

The Vaccine Challenge Animal Talk Naturally Online Radio Show » The Vaccine Challenge - Show #91

US Declared Canine-Rabies Free -- CDC Announces at Inaugural World Rabies Day Symposium CDC Press Release - September 7, 2007
 

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Discussion Starter · #8 ·
Arkansas Veterinary Medical Association http://www.arkvetmed.org/new.html
RABIES VACCINATIONS
New Recommendations


Recommendations for maintaining adequate pre-exposure immunization status: <span style="color: #990000">A routine booster every two years is NOT recommended since the newer cell culture vaccines often confer adequate antibody levels for 5 to 8 years and risk of adverse reactions is increased by frequent boosters. </span>The standard pre-exposure recommendation for veterinarians practicing in an area with enzootic rabies is serologic testing every two years with booster vaccination when the antibody titer falls below the acceptable level, i.e. 1:5 by RFFIT.
 

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Discussion Starter · #11 ·
Vaccinal adverse reactions are becoming more recognized and acknowledged in the veterinary community -- in an August 1, 2008 article in DVM360 entitled Vaccination: An Overview, http://veterinarycalendar.dvm360.com/avhc/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=568351 Dr. Melissa Kennedy states that of the two types of vaccinal adverse reactions:

<span style="color: #660000"> Adverse reactions have also become a major concern in small animal medicine. .... These fall into two general categories. The first is immediate hypersensitivity. This may be a local or systemic response, and is due to pre-existing antibody to the agent. This is the classic "allergic reaction" to the vaccine and can be life-threatening. The second is a delayed response, requiring days of longer to develop. The vaccine, seen as foreign, elicits a significant inflammatory response and is especially true for adjuvanted vaccines. This response can manifest as a granuloma, or more seriously, a fibrosarcoma .</span>

Further, she reports that <span style="color: #660000">The likelihood of adverse reactions in dogs has been found to correlate with the <u>size of the dog and the number of inoculations given, with higher risk associated with small size and multiple inoculations.</u> </span>

___________________________________________

Duration of Immunity to Canine Vaccines: What We Know and Don't Know, Dr. Ronald Schultz http://www.cedarbayvet.com/duration_of_immunity.htm

What Everyone Needs to Know about Canine Vaccines, Dr. Ronald Schultz
http://www.puliclub.org/CHF/AKC2007Conf/...%20Vaccines.htm

Vaccination: An Overview Dr. Melissa Kennedy, DVM360 http://veterinarycalendar.dvm360.com/avhc/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=568351

World Small Animal Veterinary Association 2007 Vaccine Guidelines http://www.wsava.org/SAC.htm Scroll down to Vaccine Guidelines 2007 (PDF)

The 2003 American Animal Hospital Association's Canine Vaccine Guidelines are accessible online at http://www.leerburg.com/special_report.htm .

The 2006 American Animal Hospital Association's Canine Vaccine Guidelines are downloadable in PDF format at http://www.aahanet.org/PublicDocumen...s06Revised.pdf .

Veterinarian, Dr. Robert Rogers,has an excellent presentation on veterinary vaccines at http://www.newvaccinationprotocols.com/

Duration of Immunity: The Rabies Vaccine Challenge - Show #185 Animal Talk Radio Show 7/30/08 http://www.blogtalkradio.com/animaltalkn...llenge-Show-186

October 1, 2002 DVM Newsletter article entitled, AVMA, AAHA to Release Vaccine Positions, http://www.dvmnewsmagazine.com/dvm/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=35171

July 1, 2003 DVM Newsletter article entitled, What Do We Tell Our Clients?, Developing thorough plan to educate staff on changing vaccine protocols essential for maintaining solid relationships with clients and ensuring quality care http://www.dvmnewsmagazine.com/dvm/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=61696

July 1, 2003, DVM Newsletter article, Developing Common Sense Strategies for Fiscal Responsibility: Using an interactive template to plan service protocol changes http://www.dvmnewsmagazine.com/dvm/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=61694

Animal Wellness Magazine Article Vol. 8 Issue 6, How Often Does he REALLY Need A Rabies Shot Animal Wellness Magazine - devoted to natural health in animals

The Rabies Challenge Animal Wise Radio Interview
Listen to Animal Wise (scroll down to The Rabies Challenge 12/9/07)

The Vaccine Challenge Animal Talk Naturally Online Radio Show » The Vaccine Challenge - Show #91

Rabies Shot Killed my Poodle May 28, 2008 Channel 5 News WCVB http://www.thebostonchannel.com:80/news/16410586/detail.html?rss=bos&taf=bos

US Declared Canine-Rabies Free -- CDC Announces at Inaugural World Rabies Day Symposium CDC Press Release - September 7, 2007

Rabies Prevention -- United States, 1991 Recommendations of the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee (ACIP), Center for Disease Control's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly March 22, 1991 / 40(RR03);1-19 http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00041987.htm "<span style="color: #CC0000">A fully vaccinated dog or cat is unlikely to become infected with rabies,</span> although rare cases have been reported (48). In a nationwide study of rabies among dogs and cats in 1988, only one dog and two cats that were vaccinated contracted rabies (49). All three of these animals had received only single doses of vaccine; <span style="color: #CC0000">no documented vaccine failures occurred among dogs or cats that had received two vaccinations. "</span>
 

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About five years ago, I had the Vet out to do yearly vax for my 22-year-old horse. She had a severe colic reaction (repeatedly throwing herself on the ground and in tremendous pain) that started about 20 minutes after he left. The Vet returned (on an emergency call $$$$) and she recovered.

The next year, my Vet suggested that her system could not take all the vaccines at once and we just did rabies and made another appointment to do other vax later. Same reaction - another emergency call - and lots of pain/anguish.

I half-jokingly told the Vet that I thought the pharmaceutical company should pay for the emergency care that resulted from their vaccine. He, to my surprise, thought that was a good idea. He contacted them for me - and for others in the same boat - and they did, indeed, pay for it all.

I really liked this way of sending a message. Without sending a clear message, my one measly colic-horse might never even get into the statistics, but if a check was cut, I have much more confidence that she will be numbered and therefore my small contribution to keeping potential problems in their faces.

Thank you, Kris, for posting all these articles. I will read them all with great interest. Staying as informed as we can be, ensuring that we have chosen Veterinarians who are progressive/up on current research/open to discussion, and in the event of issues, ensuring we are counted are real things we can all do.
 

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Discussion Starter · #13 ·
Martie,

Thank you for the support! My precious Meadow paid with his life for my vaccinal ignorance, I hope that by providing information and links to reliable science, dog owners will educate themselves and make informed vaccine decisions with their veterinarian's input.

Kris
 

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Kris,

What routine vaccines do you do? We live in Canada and it is not law to get a rabies vaccine. Link had his 3 puppy shots and a rabies and we are debating on whether to give him his 1 year booster or not.

Thanks
Eve
 

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If the rabies shouldn't be given at the same time as others, how much time should pass between? I haven't had a problem with my last two GSDs, but if this a problem statistically I want to be able to insist that it is done the right way from now on so that I don't end up having a problem.
 

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Discussion Starter · #16 ·
Peaches' Story

Judy Schor's agility champion, Peaches, suffered a significant adverse reaction to a rabies booster. Judy has posted photos of Peaches and a letter from the vaccine manufacturer, Fort Dodge, offering a settlement to pay for medical treatment if they not disclose information about the claim. You can read the letter and see photos of Peaches at this link: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2042916&id=1447415540&ref=mf .
 

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Re: Peaches' Story

So far I have been lucky I guess.

This year I had Jenna, Babsy, Milla, Ninja, Shadow, Forrest, Redd, and Joy get Rabies shots. None had any of these symptoms afterwards.

After her second set and third of puppy shots, Whitney slept all day -- that was a few years ago.

And we opted not to get Cujo a rabies shot this year.
 

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Re: Peaches' Story

Having to deal with a dog that has had an extreme reaction can be very scary and expensive. Sometimes fatal for the dog, at the very least, very damaging internally, sometimes externally. I know that managing Indy has cost me thousands of dollars over the years, and it changed her personality forever, in addition to causing a lifetime of pain.

Problem with vaccine reactions is that they can be subtle and not noticed, or not associated with the vaccination.

Canine Health Concerns did a valid statistical study. Many adverse events were clustered at about 3 months post vaccination. Spinal problems were different, they were clustered later, either at 6 or 8 months. And how many of us have dogs with spinal issues? It does make me wonder - Max has had spine mobility problems since I first took him to the chiro 6 years ago.
 
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