More than half of US dog owners expressed concern about pet vaccines, including against rabies, according to a new study
More than half of US dog owners expressed concerns about vaccinating their dogs, including against rabies, according to a new study published Saturday in the journal Vaccine. The study comes as anti-vaccine sentiments among humans have exploded in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This is not the first indication that insurgent anti-vaccine attitudes have impacted our furry friends. A study published in the Canadian Veterinary Journal in 2021 found overlap between the movement against mandatory childhood vaccines and vaccine-resistant pet owners. Another found a link between people skeptical of vaccinating their dogs and those who believe vaccines cause autism in children — a false rumor that’s been long-debunked.
In the new study, the authors surveyed 2,200 people and found 53% had some concern about the safety, efficacy or necessity of canine vaccines. Nearly 40% were concerned that vaccines could cause dogs to develop autism, a theory without any scientific merit. Most states require rabies vaccinations for both cats and dogs. Other shots, like the parvovirus vaccine, are critical for dogs’ health. Vaccination rates for pets are not tracked the same way that rates for childhood shots in humans are tracked, but the US is not considered a rabies reservoir. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around 60 to 70 dogs and more than 250 cats are reported rabid each year.
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