As a practicing Veterinarian, may I offer a somewhat different perspective??? Rabies Vaccination is the only Veterinary vaccination with any legal requirement in most of the US. Although we know that a vaccination series develops immunity and protects our puppies and kittens from a variety of diseases, owners have the right to refuse any vaccinations -— no problem. In fact, they can refuse a legally required Rabies Vaccination -— I am a private citizen with no enforcement authority.
I face the vaccination choice issue on a daily basis. Many times, I get to see the unvaccinated animal back in the clinic within its first two years sick with a disease we might have easily prevented by vaccination -— especially Parvovirus infection, a very serious and often fatal disease. Too many times I have had owners cuss, cry, beg, and offer to pay any amount if I can just promise to save their unvaccinated furbaby that they love so much. Although I always try my best, too many times treatment is unsuccessful for something 90+% preventable.
I have even diagnosed active clinical Rabies in an unvaccinated dog owned by a fellow Veteran, and worked to get him protected ASAP to keep him from becoming infected with that horrific fatal disease. Thankfully it turned out well -— but if his dog had been vaccinated there is a 90+% chance he would never have been exposed at all.
Back when the Parvovirus first mutated from Feline Panleukopenia and jumped into dogs, a completely unprotected species, animals of all ages were infected and many died. Not until an effective vaccine was available, and a significant portion of the population was vaccinated to provide sufficient herd immunity between the active cases, did the Parvo epidemic subside.
Of course, parents should choose for their children -— but they must also be fully willing to accept the personal responsibility for a serious or fatal disease that was preventable, as well as the exposure of other vulnerable children. The fact that so many previously near-eradicated diseases are returning, and spreading through available unprotected populations, is a sad testament to our national immunity.
WE must be careful and cognizant about our choices -— because disease doesn’t care about opinion or politics.
Well stated. My wife is a vet from the Army service as well. Getting vaccines is a no-brainer, spreading them out is a good point for discussion. It is pure idiocy that people skip vaccines, then force themselves, their children, their pets, and everyone else, to deal with the resulting problems. And the excuses in so-called conservatives the defenses are pathetic and laughable. The pain is not.
US population (2014) 318.9 million
9% of which would be 28.7 million refusing measles vaccine
Measles is highly contagious... from the CDC...
Measles is transmitted primarily from person to person by large respiratory droplets but can also spread by the airborne route as aerosolized droplet nuclei. Infected people are usually contagious from 4 days before until 4 days after rash onset. Measles is among the most contagious viral diseases known; secondary attack rates are >90% in susceptible household and institutional contacts. Humans are the only natural host for sustaining measles virus transmission, which makes global eradication of measles feasible.
Looking at a population that large being unvaccinated but likely getting measles at some point given the high infectivity of the disease would suggest going forward 500,000 annual cases per year (based off of annual cases of 3 million out of a population of 160 million in US prior to vaccinations)... including annually 30,000 cases of measles pneumonia of which 1,500 would have bacterial superinfection, annually 500 cases of measles encephalitis, annually 500 cases of measles acute disseminated encephalomyelitis and annually 500 deaths from measles.
This would result in increased expenditure in the health care system... a cost that would be shouldered by all.