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#2
03-20-2008, 01:34 PM
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2nd Update KANSAS RABIES LAW-My Letter to Kay Johnson
Below is a copy of the letter I faxed to Kay Johnson this morning. It appears that a vaccine revolution in Kansas has been triggered by the Wichita Eagle article http://www.kansas.com/news/story/344780.html. Dog owners are starting to organize, and Kay Johnson has received communications from as far away as India!! I'll keep you posted as developments unfold.
Kris March 19, 2008 Ms. Kay Johnson, Director Environmental Services 1900 East 9th Street N. Wichita, KS 67214 RE: Wichita’s Annual Rabies Immunization Protocol for Dogs Greetings Ms. Johnson: It is unconscionable, unprofessional, and reckless for you, as the Director of Environmental Services, to rigidly adhere to a medically unsound annual rabies immunization protocol based on your desire to address a non-compliance issue among irresponsible dog owners. In effect, your policy punishes law-abiding citizens by requiring them to pay for medically unnecessary annual boosters. The rabies vaccine is the most potent of the veterinary vaccines and associated with significant adverse reactions -- it should not be given more often than is necessary to maintain immunity. Adverse reactions such as autoimmune diseases affecting the thyroid, joints, blood, eyes, skin, kidney, liver, bowel and central nervous system; anaphylactic shock; aggression; seizures; epilepsy; and fibrosarcomas at injection sites are linked to rabies vaccinations. The National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians’ Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control, 2007 (http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/rr/rr5603.pdf ) states that: “No laboratory or epidemiologic data exist to support the annual or biennial administration of 3- or 4-year vaccines following the initial series.” Many, if not most or all, annual rabies vaccines are the 3 year vaccine relabeled for annual use -- Colorado State University's Small Animal Vaccination Protocol for its veterinary teaching hospital states: “Even with rabies vaccines, the label may be misleading in that a three year duration of immunity product may also be labeled and sold as a one year duration of immunity product.” It is my personal opinion that you have set a rabies immunization policy which violates consumer protection laws by requiring pet owners (pet owners are consumers of veterinary services) to pay for annual rabies boosters which their dogs derive no benefit from, and which have the potential to cause harm. Under Article 8 “Unprofessional Conduct” of the Kansas Administrative Regulations, K.A.R. 70-8-1, one of the acts of unprofessional conduct listed by the Kansas Board of Veterinary Examiners (2A) is administering drugs “when the drugs are not necessary or required for the medical care of animals..” It appears that your annual rabies vaccination policy forces veterinarians into the uncomfortable position of violating their professional code of conduct by obliging them to overvaccinate dogs against rabies in order for their owners to comply with the law. The first entry under Appendix 2 of the 2003 American Animal Hospital Association’s Canine Vaccine Guidelines “Important Vaccination ‘Do’s and Don’ts” is “Do Not Vaccinate Needlessly – Don’t revaccinate more often than is needed….” They also caution: “Do Not Assume that Vaccines Cannot Harm a Patient – Vaccines are potent medically active agents and have the very real potential of producing adverse events.” The American Veterinary Medical Association's 2001 Principles of Vaccination states that “Unnecessary stimulation of the immune system does not result in enhanced disease resistance, and may increase the risk of adverse post-vaccination events.” They elaborate by reporting that: “Possible adverse events include failure to immunize, anaphylaxis, immunosuppression, autoimmune disorders, transient infections, and/or long-term infected carrier states." In the Mission Statement for the department of which you are the Director (http://www.wichita.gov/CityOffices/Environmental/), it lists as one of the core values, principles and operating philosophy by which you are supposed to be guided: “Integrity: We are committed to truth, accuracy, and fairness.” Your annual rabies immunization protocol fails to meet this standard of integrity. I strongly urge you to immediately revise Wichita’s misguided annual rabies immunization policy and adopt the national triennial standard. Sincerely, Kris L. Christine Founder, Co-Trustee THE RABIES CHALLENGE FUND www.RabiesChallengeFund.org cc: Diane McCartney, Wichita Eagle Attorney General Stephen N. Six Consumer Protection Division, Attorney General’s Office 
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#3
03-23-2008, 10:19 AM
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Kansas Rabies Law--ACT NOW!
In my 2nd update post above is a copy of the letter I faxed to Kay Johnson. It appears that a vaccine revolution in Kansas has been triggered by the Wichita Eagle article http://www.kansas.com/news/story/344780.html . There is a rare opportunity to get the various Kansas rabies laws changed to the national standard, and NOW is the time to take action to help! Dog owners in Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Georgia have contacted me about initiating efforts to change the laws in their states, based on the recent developments in Maine and Kansas. It's important to remember that as dog owners, we all have a stake in the rabies immunization laws across the country as they tend to spill over state borders; so even if you do not live in Kansas, the rabies immunization laws there could impact you in the future. What You Can Do to Help: Please contact Kay Johnson, the Wichita City Council, Kansas Legislators, the Governor, and the Attorney General. Contact information is below--it's simple to make a phone call or two or copy and paste e-mail addresses to send e-mail messages. The full e-mail list of Kansas senators and representatives is at the bottom of this message. Pass this message along to everyone you know and ask them to do the same. Simple actions multiplied hundreds of times over move mountains! A concerned Wichita pet owner has informed me that Kay Johnson told them she doesn't want dog owners contacting her!!! Kay Johnson is a public official, and she needs to be reminded that her salary is paid by the public she is supposed to serve -- as her department's mission states: http://www.wichita.gov/CityOffices/Environmental/ "Service: We must serve the public as a whole, our customers who seek a product or service from us, and future generations, whose interests are affected by today's actions." Kay Johnson at KJohnson@wichita.gov Phone (316) 268-8351 Fax: (316) 268-8356 Environmental Services1900 E. 9th St. N. Wichita, KS 67214. Kansas Legislators can be contacted by clicking on the link below or by copying and pasting the e-mails at the bottom of my post above. Kansas Legislature -- find your legislator http://www.kslegislature.org/legsrv-legisportal/redistricting.do Full e-mail list of all Kansas Legislators is on my action alert post above. Wichita City Council http://www.wichita.gov/Government/CityCouncil/ City Hall, 1st Floor, MS 1-13, 455 N. Main, Wichita, KS 67202 Phone (316) 268-4331 Fax: (316) 858-7743 E-Mails: CBrewer@wichita.gov; LKWilliams@wichita.gov; SSchlapp@wichita.gov; JSkelton@wichita.gov; PGray@wichita.gov; JLongwell@wichita.gov; SFearey@wichita.gov; LPorter@wichita.gov; ASherfield@wichita.gov; JCJohnson@wichita.gov; PHouston@wichita.gov; KGlassman@wichita.gov; MBuckmaster@wichita.gov; TDozal@wichita.gov Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius: Office of the Governor, Capitol, 300 SW 10th Ave., Ste. 212S, Topeka, KS 66612-1590 Phone: (1-877-579-6757) Fax 785-368-8788; Lt. Governor Mark Parkinson: Toll-Free 1-800-748-4408 Local 785-296-2213 Fax 785-296-5669; Kansas Attorney General's Office: Kansas Attorney General Stephen N. Six Memorial Hall, 2nd Floor; 120 SW 10th Street; Topeka, KS 66612 Phone: (785) 296-2215; 1-888-428-8436 fax: (785) 296-6296 e-mail: general@ksag.org; cprotect@ksag.org; victim@ksag.org; Consumer Protection Division Phone: (785) 296-3751 (800) 432-2310 Consumer Fax: (785) 291-3699 PERMISSION GRANTED TO CROSS-POST THIS MESSAGE Kris
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#4
03-26-2008, 01:50 AM
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KS Petition, WY News, AR Group, Wichita to Form Rabies Vax Committee
Kansas Petition, Wyoming News Rabies Law Article, Arkansas Yahoo Group, Wichita to Form Rabies Vaccination Committee
Kansas Dog owners have started a petition to get annual rabies laws in the state changed to the national 3 year standard. They are planning to have petitions available for dog owners to sign at the upcoming Yappy Days event on March 29th from 9-4 at the Kansas Coliseum, Pavilion II http://www.kzsn.com/cc-common/mainheadline...article=3323054 . The petition is posted online at http://www.thepetitionsite.com:80/1/Stop-O...tion-in-Wichita . In an unexpected development, the Wyoming News ran the following article in their March 22, 2008 edition http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2008/0...al_03-23-08.txt Vaccine overkill? By Baylie Davis CHEYENNE -- Even though city residents might have the option of getting rabies vaccines for their pets that last three years, according to city ordinance, the vaccine has to be administered every year. Dog owners are mobilizing to tackle annual rabies laws/ordinances there, and again, I will post more information as it becomes available. Arkansas dog owners are organizing to change their annual rabies laws there. A Yahoo group, Arkansas Rabies Vaccine Info http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ARVaccineInfo has been started to coordinate efforts there, please join if you are interested. PERMISSION GRANTED TO CROSS-POST THIS MESSAGE Wichita to Form Rabies Vaccination Committee I just received the notice below. When Maine revised their rabies laws, they included a representative of the dog-owning public (me), how unfortunate that Wichita is not including a member of their dog-owning public. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Kay Johnson, Director of Environmental Services, 268-8351 City to Form Rabies Vaccination Committee The City of Wichita is forming an ad hoc committee to review the schedule for rabies vaccinations, Interim Wichita City Manager Ed Flentje announced on Tuesday. The committee will review the latest information on rabies prevention and control and make recommendations, said Kay Johnson, Director of Environmental Services. Committee members will be announced at a later date. “The committee will be primarily comprised of local veterinarians and public health officials,” Johnson said. “Rabies is a very serious issue and potentially fatal. We want to make sure that people and pets are protected.” The committee recommendations will be provided to the City Manager as part of a broader and ongoing animal ordinance review. The ordinance review is scheduled to be presented to the Wichita City Council later this year. For further questions, Johnson can be reached at kjohnson@wichita.gov or 268-8351.
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#5
03-27-2008, 12:07 PM
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WYOMING Rabies Laws--ACTION ALERT!!!
Greetings All!
Things are unfolding much faster than I expected on annual rabies laws in the country, sorry for the frequent posts, but I do want to keep you updated. Kris WYOMING Rabies Laws--ACTION ALERT!!! Following a 3/22/08 article entitled Vaccine overkill? in the Wyoming News http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/...l_03-23-08.txt by Baylie Davis and inspired by encouraging developments in Kansas, Wyoming dog breeders have contacted Wyoming's Governor, Attorney General as well as the Mayor of Cheyenne imploring the state to adopt the national standard of a 3 year rabies vaccination protocol. They need your assistance to help them get the annual rabies booster ordinances in the state changed. What You Can Do To Help Please contact any/or all of the Wyoming public officials listed below. You can copy and paste e-mail addresses listed. I will be sending a letter of support as well and will keep you updated on developments. After the Wyoming contact list, there will be updated information on rabies law efforts in Kansas and Arkansas as well. PERMISSION GRANTED TO CROSS-POST THIS MESSAGE Wyoming Contacts Attorney General Bruce A. Salzburg Phone: (307) 777-7841 Fax: (307) 777-6869; Consumer Protection Division 307-777-7874 or 1-800-438-5799 Fax: 307-777-7956 baylwa@state.wy.us Governor Dave Freudenthal Phone: 307-777-7434 Fax: 307-632-3909 (fax) cboswe@state.wy.us; rlance@state.wy.us; ccroft@state.wy.us; ceastw@state.wy.us; bwarbu@state.wy.us; jyoung@state.wy.us; mbaine@state.wy.us; mgeist@state.wy.us Cheyenne Mayor Jack Spiker mayor@cheyennecity.org Phone: (307) 637-6200; Fax: (307)637-6378; City Council: citycouncil@cheyennecity.org Phone: (307) 637-6357 Fax: (307)637-6356 jcase@cheyennecity.org; playbourn@cheyennecity.org; jvaldez@cheyennecity.org; pcollins@cheyennecity.org; mrinne@cheyennecity.org; tsegrave@cheyennecity.org; jbrown@cheyennecity.org; gbroyles@cheyennecity.org; dpierson@cheyennecity.org Wyoming Legislators http://legisweb.state.wy.us/email/email.htm dalden@wyoming.com; randerso@wyoming.com; g.bagby@bresnan.net; rberger@wyoming.com; sblake@wyoming.com; bbrechtel@wyoming.com; kermitbrown@wyoming.com; ebuchanan@wyoming.com; childers@wyoming.com; royc@alluretech.net; bcraft@wyoming.com; kdavison@wyoming.com; diercks@wyoming.com; ddockstader@wyoming.com; aedmonds@wyoming.com; warpaint@wyoming.com; fesquibel@wyoming.com; kesquibel@wyoming.com; mgilmore2@wyoming.com; kgingery@wyoming.com; pgoggles@wyoming.com; mary.hales@realestateincasper.com; tphallinan@bresnan.net; dhammons@wyoming.com; sharshman@wyoming.com; harvey00@tctwest.net; jiekel@wyoming.com; pete_chloeilloway3@msn.com; ajaggi@wyoming.com; aljones@wyoming.com; pjorgensen@jorgensenassociates.com; jlandon@wyoming.com; tlockh1617@aol.com; tlubnau@vcn.com; madden@wyoming.com; mmartin@wyoming.com; dmcomie@wyoming.com; emercer@wyoming.com; slmey@wyoming.com; davidmiller@wyoming.com; lorimillin@bresnan.net; molsen@wyoming.com; opetersen@wyoming.com; fphilp@wyoming.com; lquarberg@wyoming.com; dswyo@wyoming.com; msemlek@wyoming.com; lshepperson@wyoming.com; csimpson@skelaw.com; slater@wyoming.com; jebsteward@union-tel.com; tim@stampedeforstubson.com; mteeters@wyoming.com; billthompson@wyoming.com; mthrone@wyoming.com; sue.wallis@vcn.com; jwbeardog@bresnan.net; elkuw@wyoming.com; dzwonitzer@wyoming.com; dzwonitzer@wyoming.com; jamesda1@msn.com; paullman@wyoming.com; senbebout@wyoming.com; bburns@dbburns.com; ccase@wyoming.com; hcoe@wyoming.com; scooperwy@gmail.com; kDecaria@wyoming.com; bob@robertfecht.com; ggeis@wyoming.com; jhastert2@wyoming.com; jhines@wyoming.com; kit@kitsenate.com; rjob@wyoming.com; wajohnsonsd6@yahoo.com; blanden@bresnan.net; senlarson@wyoming.com; mamassie@msn.com; cmeier@wyoming.com; jmockler@wyoming.com; phil.nicholas@lariat.org; drew@schwartzbon.com; rpeterson@wyoming.com; tross@wyoming.com; jschiffe@wyoming.com; charlesscott@wyoming.com; ksessions@wyoming.com; ctown@wyoming.com; bvasey@wyoming.com; mvonflatern@wyoming.com Kansas Rabies Law Update & Arkansas Dog Owners Organizing to Challenge Arkansas Rabies Laws Kansas: Dog owners have started a petition to get annual rabies laws in the state changed to the national 3 year standard. They are planning to have petitions available for dog owners to sign at the upcoming Yappy Days event on March 29th from 9-4 at the Kansas Coliseum, Pavilion II http://www.kzsn.com/cc-common/mainheadlines2.html?feed=107458&article=3323054 . The petition is posted online at http://www.thepetitionsite.com:80/1/Stop-Over-Vaccination-in-Wichita . Activities in Kansas were sparked by a March 18, 2008 article in the Wichita Eagle entitled, Are Annual Shots a Risk for Dogs? http://www.kansas.com/news/story/344780.html by Diane McCartney. Arkansas: Dog owners are organizing to change their annual rabies laws. A Yahoo group, Arkansas Rabies Vaccine Info http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ARVaccineInfo has been started to coordinate efforts, please join if you are interested. __________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ Wichita to Form Rabies Vaccination Committee I received the notice below on March 25, 2008. How unfortunate that Wichita is not including a member of their dog-owning public on this committee. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Kay Johnson, Director of Environmental Services, 268-8351 City to Form Rabies Vaccination Committee The City of Wichita is forming an ad hoc committee to review the schedule for rabies vaccinations, Interim Wichita City Manager Ed Flentje announced on Tuesday. The committee will review the latest information on rabies prevention and control and make recommendations, said Kay Johnson, Director of Environmental Services. Committee members will be announced at a later date. “The committee will be primarily comprised of local veterinarians and public health officials,” Johnson said. “Rabies is a very serious issue and potentially fatal. We want to make sure that people and pets are protected.” The committee recommendations will be provided to the City Manager as part of a broader and ongoing animal ordinance review. The ordinance review is scheduled to be presented to the Wichita City Council later this year. For further questions, Johnson can be reached at kjohnson@wichita.gov or 268-8351. __________________________________________________ ____________________________________________ Thank you all for your incredible efforts in Maine and Kansas! You are making a huge difference in the lives of dogs everywhere. You are proving Margaret Mead correct when she said, "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." Regards, Kris
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#6
03-29-2008, 08:31 AM
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KS Rabies Law--Monday Meeting & Petition
KS Rabies Law-- Monday Meeting & Petition
http://www.kansas.com/living/pets/story/355652.html PET BRIEFS City rabies law to be discussed Anyone interested in discussing proposed changes to Wichita's ordinance requiring yearly rabies vaccinations for dogs is invited to a meeting at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Alford Branch Library, 3447 S. Meridian. Petitions will be available to sign at the meeting and also at Yappy Days, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at Pavilion II in the Kansas Coliseum. The city announced earlier this week that it is forming an ad hoc committee, made up primarily of local veterinarians and public health officials, to review the latest information on rabies prevention and control and discuss the vaccination schedule. The committee's recommendations will be provided to the city manager as part of a broader and ongoing animal ordinance review, the city said in a news release. The ordinance review is set to be presented to the Wichita City Council later this year. To read more about rabies laws and vaccines, go online to www.kansas.com/living/pets/story/344780.html.
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#8
03-29-2008, 09:47 AM
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No animal should be required by law to have a redundant vaccination, especially when the vaccination in question is the most potent of all veterinary vaccines and the one most likely to cause an adverse reaction.
A human equivalent would be the tetanus vaccine, which is a killed, adjuvanted vaccine -- imagine if your state required that you have a tetanus booster every year or every three years even though research has demonstrated an 11 year minimum duration of immunity. How would you feel about the minimal cost and side affects then? According to an October-December 2007, Vol. 26, #3 article in the Journal of American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association, Summary of a Presentation by Dr. Ron Schultz written by Patricia Monahan Jordan, DVM "Rabies is also the vaccine most likely to lead to an ADVERSE EVENT. Veterinarians that are administering RABIES yearly for the sake of vaccinating yearly are committing malpractice (and should be prosecuted)." The rabies is a "killed," "adjuvanted" vaccine linked to fibrosarcomas at vaccination sites in dogs, and "The World Health Organization (WHO) in 1999 classified veterinary vaccine adjuvants as Class III/IV carcinogens with Class IV being the highest risk," IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans: Volume 74, World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Feb. 23-Mar. 2, 1999, p. 24, 305, 310. "In both dogs and cats, the development of necrotizing panniculitis at sites of rabies vaccine administration was first observed by Hendrick & Dunagan (1992)." Fibrosarcomas at Presumed Sites of Injection in Dogs: Characteristics and Comparison with Non-vaccination Site Fibrosarcomas and Feline Post-vaccinal Fibrosarcomas Journal of Veterinary Medicine, Series A August 2003, vol. 50, no. 6, pp. 286-291(6) According to the 2003 AAHA Guidelines(Page 16), "...killed vaccines are much more likely to cause hypersensitivity reactions (e.g., immune-mediated disease)."Further, the AAHA task force reports on Page 18 that, "Bacterial vaccines, especially killed whole organism products …..are much more likely to cause adverse reactions than subunit or live bacterial vaccines or MLV vaccines, especially if given topically. Several killed bacterial products are used as immunomodulators/adjuvants. Thus, their presence in a combination vaccine product may enhance or suppress the immune response or may cause an undesired response (e.g., IgE hypersensitivity or a class of antibody that is not protective). Many, if not all, annual rabies vaccines are the 3 year vaccine relabeled for annual use -- Colorado State University's Small Animal Vaccination Protocol for its veterinary teaching hospital states: “Even with rabies vaccines, the label may be misleading in that a three year duration of immunity product may also be labeled and sold as a one year duration of immunity product.” Wyoming city laws/ordinances requiring annual rabies boosters do not enhance an animal’s immunity and needlessly expose dogs to the risk of adverse reactions. 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.” If you choose to give your dog a redundant rabies shot, that's your choice, but many dog owners would prefer not to be required by law to give their dogs a medically unnecessary annual rabies booster and needlessly expose their animals to the risk of potential adverse reactions, some of which can be life-threatening. Redundant vaccinations do not enhance immunity! They may increase antibody titer counts, but if you are immune to a rabies challenge at a 1:300 count, having a titer count of 1:5,800 doesn't make you "more immune". 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.” My own dog, Meadow, died as the result of a mast cell cancer which started directly on the site of a redundant rabies booster -- I know first-hand how devastating some of those adverse reactions can be, as do others whose dogs have suffered Auto Immune Hemolytic Anemia, anaphylactic shock, etc.... You mention that adverse affects are "rare," but it's impossible to know just how often dogs adversely react to vaccines because veterinarians are not required by law to report adverse reactions, and according to the World Small Animal Veterinary Association's 2007 Vaccine Guidleines, "The VGG recognises that there is gross under-reporting of vaccine-associated adverse events which impedes knowledge of the ongoing safety of these products. The recently released World Small Animal Veterinary Association 2007 Vaccine Guidelines are available online at http://www.wsava.org/SAC.htm Scroll down to Vaccine Guidelines 2007 (PDF)
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#9
03-29-2008, 10:22 AM
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Quote:
Well if Tetanus was a contagious disease able to spread among the wild life in my area, can take months to kill and a simply vaccination would prevent it - SIGN ME UP. How many lives is your indignity worth  People and animals don`t survive rabies. Many of us are more concerned with global warming, run away inflation, breed specific legislations, insurance companies denying home owner coverage, etc., this would be a minor inconvenience to me for yearly vaccinations and like I said I don`t live any where near Witchita so these are pretty much spam to me. Too many other bigger fish to fry.
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#10
04-01-2008, 02:18 AM
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Update--Wyoming Rabies Laws
Udate -- WYOMING RABIES LAWS To update you on Wyoming, below is a copy of a letter I sent on March 30th to state officials. On Thursday, I had an e-mail from Representative Sue Wallis sue.wallis@vcn.com , who said, The Wyoming Legislature has no intention of usurping what rightfully belongs to the cities, towns, and counties. I do not know if she is reflecting the sentiment of all members of Wyoming's Legislature, but it certainly is contrary to the declaration she makes on her website www.wallis.vcn.com that With hard work, and your help, I know that we will be able to accomplish good legislation, and hopefully argue against that which is unnecessary, expensive, unproductive or harmful to the citizens of Campbell County and the State of Wyoming. The following quote is from the Center for Disease Control's MMWR Recommendations and Reports March 22, 1991/40(RR03);1-19 Rabies Prevention-- United States, 1991 Recommendations of the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00041987.htm "A fully vaccinated dog or cat is unlikely to become infected with rabies, 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; no documented vaccine failures occurred among dogs or cats that had received two vaccinations. " . PERMISSION GRANTED TO CROSS-POST THIS MESSAGE. March 30, 2008 Governor Dave Freudenthal Attorney General Bruce A. Salzburg State Capitol, 200 West 24th Street State Capitol, 200 West 24th Street Cheyenne, WY 82002-0010 Cheyenne, WY 82002-0010 RE: WYOMING’S ANNUAL RABIES LAWS/ORDINANCES Greetings Governor Freudenthal and General Salzburg: The time for Wyoming to adopt a uniform, state-wide 3 year canine rabies immunization protocol conforming to the national standard is long overdue. Scientific data demonstrating a minimum duration of immunity for the canine rabies vaccine of 3 years by challenge and 7 years serologically was incorporated into the 2003 American Animal Hospital Association’s Canine Vaccine Guidelines more than 5 years ago. Because the rabies vaccine is the most potent of the veterinary vaccines and associated with significant adverse reactions, it should not be given more often than is necessary to maintain immunity. Adverse reactions such as autoimmune diseases affecting the thyroid, joints, blood, eyes, skin, kidney, liver, bowel and central nervous system; anaphylactic shock; aggression; seizures; epilepsy; and fibrosarcomas at injection sites are linked to rabies vaccinations. The rabies is a “killed” vaccine and contains adjuvants to enhance the immunological response. In 1999, the World Health Organization " classified veterinary vaccine adjuvants as Class III/IV carcinogens with Class IV being the highest risk," [1] and the results of a study published in the August 2003 Journal of Veterinary Medicine documenting fibrosarcomas at the presumed injection sites of rabies vaccines stated, “In both dogs and cats, the development of necrotizing panniculitis at sites of rabies vaccine administration was first observed by Hendrick & Dunagan (1992).” [2] According to the 2003 American Animal Hospital Association’s Canine Vaccine Guidelines, "...killed vaccines are much more likely to cause hypersensitivity reactions (e.g., immune-mediated disease)." Many, if not all, annual rabies vaccines are the 3 year vaccine relabeled for annual use -- Colorado State University's Small Animal Vaccination Protocol for its veterinary teaching hospital states: “Even with rabies vaccines, the label may be misleading in that a three year duration of immunity product may also be labeled and sold as a one year duration of immunity product.” Wyoming city laws/ordinances requiring annual rabies boosters do not enhance an animal’s immunity and needlessly expose dogs to the risk of adverse reactions. 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.” Of importance to policy makers is data indicating that compliance rates are no higher in states with annual rabies immunization requirements than in those with triennial protocols. A 2002 report compiled by the Banfield Corporation for the Texas Department of Health on rabies vaccination rates determined that a “comparison of the one-year states and the three-year states demonstrates no difference in the delinquency rates” and that, “A paucity of scientific data exists to demonstrate a clear public health benefit of a one-year vaccination protocol versus a three-year vaccination protocol.” [3] The Center for Disease Control’s National Association of State Public Health Veterinarian's Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control 2007 recommends that: "Vaccines used in state and local rabies-control programs should have at least a 3-year minimum duration of immunity.” They state further that, “No laboratory or epidemiologic data exist to support the annual or biennial administration of 3- or 4-year vaccines following the initial series.” Medical, epidemiological, and scientific data, as well as the recommendations of the Center for Disease Control’s National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians’ Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control 2007 and the American Animal Hospital Association’s Canine Vaccine Guidelines for 2003 and 2006 evidence the need for Wyoming to revise its state-wide rabies immunization requirements for dogs by adopting the national 3 year standard in all municipalities. Perhaps Attorney General Salzburg’s department could issue a legal opinion on whether or not municipalities with annual rabies vaccination requirements are violating Wyoming’s consumer protection laws by mandating that dog owners pay for yearly veterinary procedures from which their animals derive no benefit. I strongly urge you to conform all of the state’s rabies immunization requirements to the 3 year standard so that Wyoming dogs are no longer put at unnecessary risk of harmful side affects by being forced to receive medically unwarranted annual rabies boosters. Sincerely, Kris L. Christine Founder, Co-Trustee THE RABIES CHALLENGE FUND cc: Cheynne Mayor Jack Spiker Cheyenne City Council Director of Department of Agriculture, John Etchepare Deputy Director of Department of Agriculture, Jason Fearneyhough Wyoming Legislature -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans: Volume 74, World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer, Feb. 23-Mar. 2, 1999, p. 24, 305, 310. [2] Fibrosarcomas at Presumed Sites of Injection in Dogs: Characteristics and Comparison with Non-vaccination Site Fibrosarcomas and Feline Post-vaccinal Fibrosarcomas; Journal of Veterinary Medicine, Series A August 2003, vol. 50, no. 6, pp. 286-291(6) [3] The White Paper, Texas Department of Public Health, Zoonosis Control, Options for Rabies Vaccination of Dogs and Cats in Texas, 2002
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| Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
| KANSAS RABIES LAW--Action Alert!!! | Kris L. Christi | General Dog Chat | 1 | 03-23-2008 10:19 AM |
| MAINE RABIES LAW--Update!!! | Kris L. Christi | Dog Health | 0 | 02-28-2008 03:00 AM |
| Urgent in Kansas City | shadowfacedanes | Dog Rescue /Adoption | 12 | 11-18-2006 02:33 AM |
| Toto, we're still in Kansas! | Deb's Tiny Dogs | Off Topic | 4 | 03-12-2006 02:25 PM |
| Rabies | Dax | Dog Health | 9 | 09-02-2004 12:37 PM |
