May 5, 2006
Urgent action is needed!
The New York Legislature has introduced
misguided bills -- S02164 and A14253 -- which would require boarding kennels
and grooming facilities to obtain proof of ANNUAL VACCINATION “against
distemper, hepatitis, para influenza, leptospirosis, parvo and bordetella
during the previous year” for dogs and “against
feline viral rhinotracheitis, feline calicivirus,or feline panleuopenia
within the past year” for cats engaging their services (http://public.leginfo.state.ny.us/menugetf.cgi
insert S02164 in the box at the top after "Bill No.", click "2006" and
check the "text" box to read the text of the bill).
If these bills pass, companion
animals in New York will be required by law to be overvaccinated
in order to board or groom their animals. PLEASE copy the e-mail
addresses of the NY legislators below in my "TO:" line and send them an
e-mail urging them to vote against this irrational legislation.
Greetings Senators
and Assemblypersons:
I am writing
to strongly urge you to vote NO on Senate Bill S02164 and Assembly
Bill A04253 which would legally mandate that New York boarding kennels
and grooming facilities require proof of vaccination “against distemper,
hepatitis, para influenza, leptospirosis, parvo and bordetella during the
previous year” for dogs and “against feline
viral rhinotracheitis, feline calicivirus,or feline panleuopenia within
the past year” for cats engaging their services.
Requiring proof
of annual vaccination with vaccines with much longer proven durations of
immunity is ill-advised and reckless – it would put companion animals at
needless risk of adverse reactions without their boosting immunity and
incur unnecessary expense to their owners.Veterinary medical
schools do not recommend annual booster vaccinations for distemper, hepatitis,
parvovirus, and feline panleukopenia, so why would the New York Legislature
introduce bills that do?It would be akin to requiring New
York residents to be vaccinated annually
against polio and/or tetanus.
The core canine
distemper, hepatitis, and parvo vaccines (see Duration of Immunity to
Canine Vaccines by Dr. Ronald Schultz http://www.cedarbayvet.com/duration_of_immunity.htm)
have demonstrated durations of immunity beyond 7 years.The
American
Animal Hospital Association’s (AAHA) 2003 Canine Vaccine Guidelines
(http://www.leerburg.com/special_report.htm) stateson
Page 18 that:“We now know that booster injections are
of no value in dogs already immune, and immunity from distemper infection
and vaccination lasts for a minimum of 7 years based on challenge studies
and up to 15 years (a lifetime) based on antibody titer.”They
further state that hepatitis and parvovirus vaccines have been proven to
protect for a minimum of 7 years by challenge and up to 9 and 10 years
based on antibody count.
The
first entry under Appendix 2 of the AAHA Guidelines (http://www.leerburg.com/special_report.htm)“Important
Vaccination ‘Do’s and Don’ts” is “Do
Not Vaccinate Needlessly – Don’t revaccinate more often than is needed
and only with the vaccines that prevent diseases for which that animal
is at risk.”They
also caution veterinarians: “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
(AVMA’s) Principles of Vaccination(http://www.avma.org/issues/vaccination/vaccination.asp)
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.” (page
2)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 addition, a causal association in cats between injection
sites and the subsequent development of a malignant tumor is the subject
of ongoing research.”
Perhaps New
York’s Legislators
have been confused by vaccine manufacturer’s labels.According
to AVMA’s Principles of Vaccination (http://www.avma.org/issues/vaccination/vaccination.asp), “..revaccination
frequency recommendations found on many vaccine labels is based on historical
precedent, not on scientific data … [and]
does not resolve the question about average or maximum duration of immunity [Page
2] and..may fail to adequately
inform practitioners about optimal use of the product…[Page
4] .”As
the Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital states it:“…booster
vaccine recommendations for vaccines other than rabies virus have been
determined arbitrarily by manufacturers.”
In
an April
3, 2006Newsday article
by Denise Flaim entitled Annual
Vaccinations May Harm Your Pet (http://www.newsday.com/news/columnists/ny-adcova4687741apr03,0,3250447.column?coll=ny-rightrail-columnist,
one of the world’s leading experts on veterinary vaccines, Dr. Ronald Schultz,
is quoted as follows regarding vaccine labels: "The
label means nothing," Schultz says simply, noting that vaccines licensed
for one year and three years are often the same product. "The label has
an arbitrary and capricious annual revaccination requirement, and it takes
an act of Congress to take it off" - literally. Schultz says the Department
of Agriculture has applied to remove the language, a legislative process
that he estimates will take seven years.
On
Page 5 of the 2000 Report
of the American Association of Feline Practitioners (http://www.aafponline.org/resources/practice_guidelines.htm
(click on “Feline Vaccination Guidelines”), they state under “Feline
Panleukopenia” that “Both serologic and challenge exposure
data indicate that a parenteral FPV vaccine induces immunity that is sustained
for at least 7 years.Therefore, following the initial series
of vaccinations and revaccination 1 year later, cats should be vaccinated
no more frequently than once every 3 years.”
Again,
I urge you all to VOTE NO on SB02164 and A04253.If
you have any questions or would like me to e-mail you a full copy of the
AAHA Guidelines, please e-mail me.
Respectfully
submitted,
Kris
L. Christine
Alna, ME04535
cc:Dr.
W. Jean Dodds
Dr.
Ronald Schultz
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