MORE anti-vaxx lunacy!

 

Dog owners’ growing vaccine skepticism raises rabies risk

A fatal disease that had been all but wiped out in the U.S. could see a comeback due to a wave of anti-vaccination sentiment from people across the political spectrum.

(CN) — More than half of American dog owners now doubt the value of rabies vaccines and other immunizations, a troubling development that could potentially lead to a resurgence of a horrific illness that the U.S. had succeeded in virtually eliminating.

Rabies is nearly 100% fatal in humans, but in recent years only one to three cases have been reported in the U.S. annually. In the developing world, however, where vaccine access is spotty, about 59,000 people die from it each year, 40% of them children.

Despite this, a new survey of 2,200 American dog owners shows that 37% think dog vaccines are unsafe, 22% think they’re ineffective and 30% think they’re unnecessary. In all, 53% of respondents endorsed at least one of those beliefs.

“I am very worried that canine vaccine hesitancy could lead to an increase in rabies cases,” said Gabriella Motta, a veterinarian in suburban Philadelphia who co-authored the study. 

Motta said that nearly every day she encounters dog owners who refuse or are reluctant to vaccinate their pets. “In my discussions with other vets I have found that many of my colleagues experience a similar phenomenon,” she said.

More on this phenomenon:

https://www.courthousenews.com/dog-owners-growing-vaccine-skepticism-raises-rabies-risk/




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