Below is a copy of the letter I faxed to Kay Johnson this morning. It appears that a vaccine revolution in Kansas has been triggered by the Wichita Eagle article Kansas.com | 03/18/2008 | Are annual shots a risk for dogs?. Dog owners are starting to organize, and Kay Johnson has received communications from as far away as India!! I'll keep you posted as developments unfold.
Kris
March 19, 2008
Ms. Kay Johnson, Director
Environmental Services
1900 East 9th Street N.
Wichita, KS 67214
RE: Wichita’s Annual Rabies Immunization Protocol for Dogs
Greetings Ms. Johnson:
It is unconscionable, unprofessional, and reckless for you, as the Director of Environmental Services, to rigidly adhere to a medically unsound annual rabies immunization protocol based on your desire to address a non-compliance issue among irresponsible dog owners. In effect, your policy punishes law-abiding citizens by requiring them to pay for medically unnecessary annual boosters. The rabies vaccine is the most potent of the veterinary vaccines and associated with significant adverse reactions -- it should not be given more often than is necessary to maintain immunity. Adverse reactions such as autoimmune diseases affecting the thyroid, joints, blood, eyes, skin, kidney, liver, bowel and central nervous system; anaphylactic shock; aggression; seizures; epilepsy; and fibrosarcomas at injection sites are linked to rabies vaccinations.
The
National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians’ Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention and Control, 2007 (
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/rr/rr5603.pdf ) states that:
“No laboratory or epidemiologic data exist to support the annual or biennial administration of 3- or 4-year vaccines following the initial series.”
Many, if not most or all, annual rabies vaccines are the 3 year vaccine relabeled for annual use -- Colorado State University's Small Animal Vaccination Protocol for its veterinary teaching hospital states:
“Even with rabies vaccines, the label may be misleading in that a three year duration of immunity product may also be labeled and sold as a one year duration of immunity product.”
It is my personal opinion that you have set a rabies immunization policy which violates consumer protection laws by requiring pet owners (pet owners are consumers of veterinary services) to pay for annual rabies boosters which their dogs derive no benefit from, and which have the potential to cause harm.
Under Article 8 “
Unprofessional Conduct” of the Kansas Administrative Regulations, K.A.R. 70-8-1, one of the acts of unprofessional conduct listed by the Kansas Board of Veterinary Examiners (2A) is administering drugs “
when the drugs are not necessary or required for the medical care of animals..” It appears that your annual rabies vaccination policy forces veterinarians into the uncomfortable position of violating their professional code of conduct by obliging them to overvaccinate dogs against rabies in order for their owners to comply with the law.
The first entry under Appendix 2 of the
2003 American Animal Hospital Association’s Canine Vaccine Guidelines “
Important Vaccination ‘Do’s and Don’ts” is “Do Not Vaccinate Needlessly – Don’t revaccinate more often than is needed….” They also caution:
“Do Not Assume that Vaccines Cannot Harm a Patient – Vaccines are potent medically active agents and have the very real potential of producing adverse events.”
The
American Veterinary Medical Association's 2001 Principles of Vaccination states that “
Unnecessary stimulation of the immune system does not result in enhanced disease resistance, and may increase the risk of adverse post-vaccination events.” They elaborate by reporting that:
“Possible adverse events include failure to immunize, anaphylaxis, immunosuppression, autoimmune disorders, transient infections, and/or long-term infected carrier states."
In the Mission Statement for the department of which you are the Director (
City of Wichita - Environmental Services Main), it lists as one of the core values, principles and operating philosophy by which you are supposed to be guided:
“Integrity: We are committed to truth, accuracy, and fairness.” Your annual rabies immunization protocol fails to meet this standard of integrity.
I strongly urge you to immediately revise Wichita’s misguided annual rabies immunization policy and adopt the national triennial standard.
Sincerely,
Kris L. Christine
Founder, Co-Trustee
THE RABIES CHALLENGE FUND
funds raised to date
cc: Diane McCartney, Wichita Eagle
Attorney General Stephen N. Six
Consumer Protection Division, Attorney General’s Office
Update--KANSAS RABIES LAW!! 
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