Hesitancy around vaccines has spilled over to pet owners in recent years, sparking concern about the resurgence of rabies, a virus that’s nearly always fatal.

Some pet owners argue against vaccinating dogs – over concerns that vaccines shorten the canines’ lifespans or beliefs that vaccines can cause autism in dogs. But autism’s spectrum of symptoms is uniquely human and experts say anti-vaxxing campaigns among dog owners are especially dangerous considering the public health consequences of rabies.

“While, thankfully, we don’t see a lot of rabies, the consequence is disastrous,” Dr. Rena Carlson, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, told USA TODAY. “It’s essentially 100% fatal. So having a rabies vaccine for your cat and dog is really, really important on many levels.”

  • zephorah@lemm.ee
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    8 months ago

    Vaccines are medical marvels. 1-3 and done on debilitating conditions. Love it. I personally like not having to worry about things like Polio and Diptheria.

    Sure, tetanus, but one in 10 years isn’t bad. That shit is everywhere. No it doesn’t originate on rusty nails, that’s simply a delivery system with a next level surface area on it. Breaks in the skin, by any means, are what gets tetanus in.

    Flu is a science prediction of the three most likely strains of the year. Usually it’s solid, but predictions are just that so sometimes life throws a curve ball and the mix doesn’t include what’s going around. Flu is ever mutating and there are many. If two flu strains meet in the night a third will be born. So, the yearly flu shot can in no way include them all. As such, they don’t do too bad on flu shots.

    Rabies is scary as fuck and fatal. There’s a tiny window of time to get the shot once you’re exposed then you are fucked. And you may not show symptoms for a year. The Milwaukee thing was a bit of an outlier, it’s not a viable treatment.

    I don’t get these crunchy motherfuckers and their need for not just self destruction but endangering everyone around them with their little crusades.

    • LaunchesKayaks@lemmy.world
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      8 months ago

      I got jumped by raccoons last summer and had to get the post-exopsure rabies shot series. It sucked, but was better than getting rabies