An adverse reaction to a vaccine is similar to an adverse reaction to anything else. It’s a negative response that the body (human or animal) has to one or more of the substances in a vaccine, a reaction to what the body perceives as a foreign invasion. There are penicillin reactions, reactions to anesthetic drugs used in surgery, and reactions to common substances, such as food and even water, to name a few. Some cats are allergic to dogs, and vice versa. Furthermore, a few pets are allergic to certain types of plastic food and water bowls, or even to humans! A common reason for dogs or cats to be itchy is flea allergy dermatitis, which is a reaction to the saliva a flea injects with every bite. Vaccines are not perfect; manufacturers strive constantly to make them better. It would be nice if we could predict which individuals might be sensitive to vaccinations or which vaccine might cause an allergic response before they’re ever given. It would allow us to carefully tailor the vaccines given to each patient. Unfortunately, we’re not there yet. The myth that linked human childhood vaccines to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been thoroughly debunked, and serious vaccine reactions in humans and in pets are quite rare. Failing to vaccinate your pet, your child, or yourself leaves you susceptible to nasty yet preventable diseases. Sorting through the information can be confusing. There’s always going to be bad advice or inaccurate information out there, so it’s never a bad idea to consider the quality of the information sources. Are you learning from the CDC's website, a university website, your medical doctor, your local veterinarian, or from a guy who sells alkaline water as a cure-all? For those people or pets who have a history of a severe vaccine reaction, the standard recommendation is that the vaccine believed to have caused the reaction should not be given again. The fact that there are people and animals who cannot tolerate vaccines makes it so much more important for those who can tolerate vaccines to step up to the plate and stay up-to-date, as this strengthens the overall “herd immunity” of the population, further protecting those who legitimately can’t be vaccinated. If we focus solely on the rare adverse reactions, and not on the benefit of population immunization, we lose the much-needed herd immunity.
thorough discussion with your veterinarian concerning each vaccine, as some vaccines seem more prone to causing reactions than others. Since multiple vaccines combined into one injection are often given to pets, it may be a good idea to split vaccines up, not because too many at once will overload the patient, but because separating the different vaccines may help to identify the one responsible for causing an adverse event in a given patient. Some animals with a history of adverse vaccine reactions may need to have preventive medications given prior to vaccination, in addition to close monitoring afterwards. More good advice on preventing vaccine reactions in known reactors can be found at www.veterinarypartner.com - my go-to online source for the pet owning public. If you’re still convinced that the safest route is to forego vaccinations for yourself, your children, or your pets, then you may want to also reconsider driving. The CDC says that more than 32,000 people are killed and 2 million are injured each year due in vehicular crashes in the US; that’s 90 people every day! Those accident numbers are far beyond any values for human vaccine reactions. Keep in mind, it wasn’t a vaccine reaction that killed the cat, it was curiosity, and Old Yeller would’ve had a much happier ending if he had gotten his rabies vaccine! Having everyone in your family, two- and four-legged, appropriately vaccinated for his/her age and geographic area is, in my humble opinion, part of being a responsible member of society.
PET SITTING • No Exposure to Diseases or Parasites from Other Dogs • Medication Administered • Less Separation Anxiety • Insulin Injections • Waste Cleanup • Mail Pickup • Daily Walks • Nail Trim
Tom
There are many types of vaccine reactions. Most are minor, with muscle soreness, lethargy, and mild fever being most common. If your pet vomits or has difficulty breathing after vaccinations, call your veterinarian. How do we handle future vaccines for animals with a prior vaccine reaction? First and foremost, have a
Gina Triay 69