Due to the heroic efforts  of Dr. Jean Dodd, the animal medical community has realized that dogs do not need yearly vaccinations nor do they need to be vaccinated against every disease that they may contact.  There is mounting evidence that vaccines can have a debilitating influence on your dogs health.

From the web site of the International Vaccination Newsletter, many veterinarians expressed their concern for the current trend for frequent vaccinations. €œThe April / May 1995 issue of the excellent Wolf Clan Magazine Collected a cacophony:  Charles E Loops, DVM, Pittsboro, USA said: “The first thing that must change with routine vaccinations is the myth that vaccines are not harmful. Veterinarians and animal guardians have  to realize is  that they are not protecting animals from disease by annual vaccinations, but in fact, are destroying the health and immune systems of tse same animals they love and care for.”

The Vaccine Manufactuers Warning

Vaccine manufacturers warn that the following factors can render vaccines harmful.  Reaction to a vaccine may occur if the dog’s immune system is incompetent and if the dog is exposed to a virus shortly after vaccination.  In addition, if the vaccine is stored and handled inappropriately or if the dog is incubating a disease at the time of vaccination, the dog may exhibit a negative reaction up to and including death.  Some of the other factors that can cause a bad reaction are:

If the dog is genetically defective
If there is something wrong with the dog’s diet
If the dog was unhealthy when vaccinated
If the dog is stressed at time of injection.

The University of Purdue has completed an arduous study on the detrimental effects of excessive vaccinations on the long-term health of your dog. The study is too long to include here, but I will include links to them as well as other sites with pertinent information.

• http://www.vet.purdue.edu/epi/gdhstudy.htm
• http://www.doglogic.com/purduevaccinestudy.htm
• http://www.healthy.net/scr/article.asp?ID=485
• http://www.vaccines.bizland.com/links-pets.htm
• http://www.healthy.net/library/articles/ivn/animals.htm
• http://cyberpet.com/cyberdog/articles/health/vaccin.htm
• http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/petvacc.htm

Another great source of information on the effects of vaccinations on the health of dogs is on the websites of Lynda Arndt,www.greatdanelady.com.  She presents invaluable up-to-the-date articles on dog nutrition, dog vaccines and other canine health issues in an easy to understand manner. This dog lover specializes in the health, care and feeding of giant dog breeds, she herself raises Great Danes.

In addition, there is a rabies challenge trial happening right now. This medical trial is expected to demonstrate that the vaccination schedule can reduced even more than they are now. World-renowned vaccine research scientist and practicing veterinarian, Dr. W. Jean Dodds of California, and pet vaccine disclosure advocate, Kris L. Christine of Maine, have established The Rabies Challenge Fund to raise money to fund a 7 year canine rabies vaccine challenge study in the United States.

In addition to the challenge study, the fund will finance a study of the adjuvants used in veterinary rabies vaccines and establish a rabies vaccine adverse reaction reporting system.  Nationally, rabies vaccination is the one immunization required by law to be administered annually or triennially to domestic dogs and cats.  However, many researchers believe that this vaccine causes the most common and worst adverse reactions in animals.  The Rabies Challenge Fund was founded to improve the safety of rabies vaccines and to determine, by challenge, if they confer immunity for 5 or 7 years.