Safer Vaccinations for Companion Animals

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    U.S. Government, US Governmental Agencies and American Veterinary Medical Association
  • Sponsored By:
    Feline VAS Support Group/Shorti-Online.org
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Many companion animals are becoming sick, in some cases dying, simply due to a type of veterinary care that would normally save our pets lives ... routine vaccinations. The two most serious adverse reactions include Feline Vaccine Associated Sarcoma (VAS), a cancerous tumor that forms at the injection-site and Canine Auto-Immune Hemolytic Anemia (AIHA). Despite extremely aggressive and costly treatment protocols, both VAS and AIHA can be deadly.

In addition to discussing the benefits of vaccinations, it is imperative veterinarians also educate their clients concerning the associated risks as well. Pet owners need to make educated decisions regarding the care of their beloved pets. It is our opinion that standardized handouts describing the benefits and risks of vaccinations are warranted and should be distributed by veterinarians to all animal lovers. In addition, standardized vaccination waivers should also be available for caretakers whose animals are prone to adverse reactions. This also applies to animals with chronic health conditions to insure that caretakers are not penalized for taking the necessary medical precautions.

We also recommend a "truth in labeling" law for Rabies vaccines. Unbeknown to many animal lovers, and with the USDA's approval, some three-year rabies vaccines are relabeled and used as one year products. Pet owners are generally unaware of the fact that their animals are being over-vaccinated by receiving a full three-year dose every year.

We also strongly believe that a "veterinary vaccine injury act" should be enacted. This fund would help compensate families who have suffered negative consequences of any vaccination mandated by law, as well as help fund development of safer vaccines and vaccine technology, such as:
1. alternative routes of administration (such as intranasal);
2. blood titer tests to determine immunity;
3. duration of immunity studies;
4. tests to determine which animals are prone to adverse vaccination reactions.

The government, in cooperation with the veterinary professional community, should enact and enforce a "standard" set of administrative guidelines concerning: a). the frequency and location of any vaccination and b). accurate record keeping for both feline and canine vaccinations; taking into consideration each animal's lifestyle, health and age. Veterinarians should then be held accountable to this "standard of care".

Thank you for your time and consideration of this matter.

10667 Signatures

  • Kimberly C
    • Location (City and State)
    • Camarillo, CA
    • Comments
    • I think this is most needed..Thank you for taking the iniative to do this. Wonderful!
  • Karen Z
    • Location (City and State)
    • Alameda, CA
    • Comments
    • My friend's cat died a needless death from a routine vaccine. This should never happen again! Many are not vaccinating their animals at all because of this - isn't it worth a safer vaccine?
  • Franny K
    • Location (City and State)
    • San Francisco, CA
    • Comments
    • thank you!
  • Michael H
    • Location (City and State)
    • Oakland, CA
    • Comments
    • Tina died because of this sort of vaccination
  • Alysia M S
    • Location (City and State)
    • Potsdam, NY 13696
    • Comments
    • There is also a concern with other types of routine injections such as cortisone (depo-medrol) injections. My cat developed a fibrosarcoma that could not be associated to any vaccines due to its location of development. I believe repeated injections of depo-medrol due to different allergies contributed to the development of her cancer. I was never informed that that could be a possible risk. The veterinarians I went to often suggested injections as opposed to oral depo-medrol and it wasn't even until her last couple of years of life that I even discovered there was an oral form of the drug. I believe vaccines are not the only type of injections that could lead to the development of sarcomas and this area should be researched better.
  • NINA L A
    • Location (City and State)
    • 1044 BRIDGE ST, MANCHESTER, NH
    • Comments
    • MY CAT HAD A SEVERE SKIN ALLERGIC REACTION AFTER A RABIES SHOT. THE VET THOUGHT THAT THE REACTION WAS CAUSED BY ANOTHER MEDICATION THAT HE WAS ON AND STOPPED HIS OTHER MEDICATION. I LEARNED WHEN I BEGAN THE OTHER MEDICATION ONCE AGAIN THAT IT WAS NOT THAT MEDICATION WHICH CAUSED THE SEVERE SKIN REACTION. IT WAS THE RABIES SHOT.
  • Mark T
    • Location (City and State)
    • Martinez, CA
  • Ariana M. R
    • Location (City and State)
    • Reston, VA
  • kelly w
    • Location (City and State)
    • schererville, indiana
    • Comments
    • this is happening too much to our pets
  • Grace W
    • Location (City and State)
    • San Francisco, CA
  • Jeff H
    • Location (City and State)
    • San Jose, CA
  • Tricia S
    • Location (City and State)
    • Lees Summit, MO
  • Laraine D
    • Location (City and State)
    • Staten Island, NY 10307
    • Comments
    • I had a lovely cat who was diagnosed with VAS and has since died.
  • Amado D
    • Location (City and State)
    • Staten Island, NY 10307
    • Comments
    • Cat died from VAS
  • Marilyn M
    • Location (City and State)
    • Rocky Hill, CT
  • Kay W
    • Location (City and State)
    • Ft Walton Bch Fl 32547
  • Penny H
    • Location (City and State)
    • Bailey, CO
    • Comments
    • I would also like to see the vaccines administered over a period of time not all at once.
  • Lisa K
    • Location (City and State)
    • Thornton, Colorado
    • Comments
    • The financial impact, not to mention the emotional, is huge for some pet owners. When such is unnecessary and avoidable, it needs to be brought under reasonable control.
  • Sheila N
    • Location (City and State)
    • Suffolk, VA
  • Stephanie J
    • Location (City and State)
    • waterloo, Ontario
  • Carol S
    • Location (City and State)
    • Seattle, WA
  • Lisa G
    • Location (City and State)
    • Waterbury, CT
  • Christina G
    • Location (City and State)
    • Sunnyvale, CA
  • Rebecca J
    • Location (City and State)
    • Knoxville, TN
    • Comments
    • My wonderful cat died as a results of a vaccination. I had never been told of the risk from a vet.
  • Kay S
    • Location (City and State)
    • Los Altos, CA 94024
  • Arthur N
    • Location (City and State)
    • singapore
    • Comments
    • Make this world a better and safer place for our animals. Together we can do it all.
  • Christopher Laurette, Certified Canine B
    • Location (City and State)
    • Waterloo, On
    • Comments
    • If producers are held financially responsible for the side-effects of medicines implemented it will, among other things, discourage the likelyhood of anyone profiteering on the treatment of side-effects.
  • Kimber B
    • Location (City and State)
    • Petersburg, MI
  • Alexis N
    • Location (City and State)
    • Everett, MA
  • Thomas A
    • Location (City and State)
    • Palm Springs, FL
  • Adele F
    • Location (City and State)
    • Brookfield, CT 06804
  • Robert L S
    • Location (City and State)
    • Amityville PA
  • Emily P
    • Location (City and State)
    • San Francisco, CA
  • Joyce M
    • Location (City and State)
    • Kennebunk,Maine
    • Comments
    • Animals deserve quality health care!
  • Paula B
    • Location (City and State)
    • Wauseon, Ohio
  • Dana W
    • Location (City and State)
    • Cape Coral, Florida
    • Comments
    • In Honor of "Bonkers" (passed away from VAS)
  • Christine B
    • Location (City and State)
    • Erie, PA
  • Kat F
    • Location (City and State)
    • Germantown, MD
  • Caroline F
    • Location (City and State)
    • Atlanta, GA
  • Cheri ! M
    • Location (City and State)
    • Lake Geneva WI
    • Comments
    • Finally!
  • Elaine
    • Location (City and State)
    • San Antonio, Texas
    • Comments
    • I lost a precious little Chihuahua because of the careless and negligent use of vaccinations. Please stop giving our precious furbabies vaccinations and medications that cost them their lives just for the sake of personal gain!
  • Jeanine B
    • Location (City and State)
    • Bellaire, TX
    • Comments
    • Thank you for doing this - we lost our Sunkissed due to the vaccinations.
  • Marian M
    • Location (City and State)
    • Belmont, CA 94002
    • Comments
    • Hope something is done very soon.
  • Laura J
    • Location (City and State)
    • Rochinghan county - NH
    • Comments
    • Thank you for letting this out - please help our loving pets.
  • Anne M
    • Location (City and State)
    • Londonderry NH
  • Anna B
    • Location (City and State)
    • Newport, NC
  • Claudia D
    • Location (City and State)
    • SF, CA
  • Monique H
    • Location (City and State)
    • Los Angeles, CA
  • Lynn M
    • Location (City and State)
    • North Berwick, Maine
  • Virginia
    • Location (City and State)
    • Warminster, Pa