Is fear driving the anti-vaccine movement?May 22, 2019Vaccines are one of the most effective means for preventing disease ever developed and one of the great triumphs of scientific medicine. Widespread vaccination of children has dramatically reduced—and in some cases eliminated—infectious diseases that have plagued humanity for thousands of years. There is less research evidence for the impact of vaccination in companion animals, but there is ample reason to believe vaccines have been equally successful in dogs and cats.3–7 Any veterinarian old enough to remember the emergence of canine parvovirus (CPV) in the U.S. in the late 1970s, for example, would probably testify to the efficacy of vaccination in reducing the incidence of this disease.5–7 There also is compelling evidence showing the reduction of both canine and human rabies cases due to vaccination programs aimed at dogs.8–12 And similar to smallpox, the veterinary disease rinderpest was eradicated largely due to the use of an effective vaccine.13 Vaccines and autism Despite the evident success of vaccination in reducing morbidity and mortality, there has always been controversy about the practice.14 The introduction of widespread vaccination in children was initially met with resistance and legal challenges. There was fear about the safety of vaccines, as well as resistance rooted in …
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ASU begins clinical study for cancer-preventing vaccineMay 10, 2019An Arizona State University (ASU) professor has begun a five-year clinical study examining the effectiveness of a cancer-preventing vaccine for dogs. Stephen Johnston, PhD, a scientist, professor at the School of Life Sciences, and director of the Biodesign Center for Innovations in Medicine, developed the vaccine over a span of 12 years. He says his goal is to change the way veterinarians treat cancer by preventing it before it can start. Over the course of the five-year study, 800 dogs will either be given the vaccine or a placebo and will be monitored. The University of Wisconsin (UW) School of Veterinary Medicine, Colorado State University (CSU) and University of California (UC), Davis are also participating in the trial. "We're testing a totally novel way of creating an anticancer immune response," says David Vail, DVM, DACVIM (oncology), professor and board-certified oncologist at the UW School of Veterinary Medicine. "The holy grail would be to prevent cancer as opposed to waiting for it to start and then treating it." The vaccine is designed to target common canine cancers, including lymphoma, osteosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma, and mastocytomas. At the beginning, two sets of vaccines will be given every two weeks and then annually. The …
S.C. veterinarians, DHEC to provide low-cost rabies vaccinationsMarch 27, 2019South Carolina veterinary practices are joining the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) to offer low-cost rabies vaccinations to their pet patients. Although rabies vaccines can be obtained all year, the initiative provides pet owners with an affordable and convenient service, while also helping to increase rabies-prevention awareness. "Rabies vaccination fees may vary by clinic site, but no veterinarian participating in these clinics will charge more than $10 per pet," says David Vaughan, director of DHEC's division of onsite wastewater, rabies prevention, and enforcement. South Carolina state law requires all pet cats, dogs, and ferrets are vaccinated against rabies. While not mandatory, DHEC also recommends owners vaccinate horses, livestock in frequent contact with people, valuable livestock, and animals used for raw milk or raw milk product production. "Rabies is a threat to pets, livestock, wild animals, and humans," Vaughan says. "Pet owners must stay vigilant and keep their pets current on their vaccinations." In 2018, South Carolina saw 100 positive rabies cases with the following breakdown: • 42 raccoons; • 16 skunks; • 15 cats; • 13 bats; • nine foxes; • two cows; • one dog; • one goat; and …
Trust, education can build vaccine complianceMarch 18, 2019Can people control their exposure to whatever virus du jour is making the rounds? No—and that's the point veterinarians should stress among vaccine-wary clients, says Tony Rumschlag, DVM, director of consulting veterinarians, companion animal at Elanco Animal Health. "We cannot in all circumstances control our pets' exposure to disease," he says. "We can help prevent disease in our beloved pets by simply following an appropriate vaccination protocol." As in human medicine, some veterinary clients are expressing concern over the necessity and safety of vaccines for companion animals. "Because some of the diseases we vaccinate against are not as prevalent as in the past, both on the human and animal side, people start to lose sight of the value of vaccines," Dr. Rumschlag explains. "When vaccination rates decrease, these diseases tend to reappear. And I understand how pet owners can forget the extent of parvo and distemper cases we saw in the 1980s and early '90s." Rumschlag says that while there is a lot of science backing the safety and value of vaccines, many of the concerns about them are based more on emotions. "Veterinarians who have treated dogs infected with preventable diseases, such as parvo and distemper, need to …
2019 World Veterinary Day highlights the value of vaccinesMarch 12, 2019Vaccines are critical to animal health, which is why this year World Veterinary Day (WVD) is focusing on the value of vaccination. Created by the World Veterinary Association (WVA) in 2000, WVD reminds pet owners of the importance of animal care, and how veterinarians and their teams can help. According to the WVA, vaccines are an essential tool for preventive veterinary medicine, promotion of animal health and welfare, and reducing the risk of human exposure to many zoonotic pathogens. Vaccination programs can reduce the need for antimicrobials, and in turn, decreases the risk of emergent antimicrobial resistance. According to WVA and HealthforAnimals, it is vital for the global veterinary profession to educate the public, particularly animal owners and producers, about the benefits of vaccination for animal, human, and public health. This year, WVD takes place on April 27.
Merck Animal Health and Alopexx develop pneumonia vaccine for foalsJanuary 18, 2019Two companies have come together to develop a vaccine for infections in young horses.
New Jersey hospital warns pet owners following Leptospirosis outbreakOctober 29, 2018New Jersey’s NorthStar VETS emergency and specialty hospital has issued a warning for local pet owners following an increase in the number of Leptospirosis cases treated at the hospital and other clinics in the New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania areas.
New development in Valley fever vaccine for companion animalsOctober 15, 2018A novel Valley fever sub-unit vaccine for companion animals has been found by Mazen Animal Health to reduce the burden of coccidioides—the fungus that can cause Valley fever—in mice.
20-plus clinics to participate in expanded osteosarcoma vaccine clinical trialSeptember 6, 2018Initial results of a pilot study for canine osteosarcoma vaccine are promising, prompting a larger study to test its safety and efficacy. Pharmaceutical company Aratana Therapeutics, which received conditional licensure for Live Listeria Vector (AT-014), has expanded its clinical trial to include more than two dozen veterinary oncology practice groups across the U.S. in order to receive full licensure. Conducted by the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, the pilot study tested the immunotherapy treatment in 18 dogs. Those that received the vaccine lived more than twice as long as the historical, matched control group, with median survival times of 956 days compared to 423 days. The expanded clinical trial is designed to collect additional safety data for the vaccine in dogs that have undergone amputation of the affected limb and have already completed chemotherapy. If the treatment is found to be as safe and effective as it appeared in the initial clinical trial, Aratana will be given full licensure, allowing it to make the drug commercially available. Live Listeria Vector (AT-014) is created by removing harmful genes from the Listeria bacteria and then attaching markers of osteosarcoma cells. It is designed to supplement standard osteosarcoma treatment of amputation …
Assessing claims of vaccine-induced ITP, IMHAAugust 29, 2018The use of any medical interventions involves balancing risks and benefits. A treatment that has zero risks almost certainly does nothing meaningful. In the case of vaccination, the benefits are well established and often taken for granted. Many serious, even life-threatening, diseases can be prevented through vaccination. In humans, childhood vaccination is recognized as the No. 1 public health achievement of the 20th century,1 and the benefits continue to grow in the 21st.2 Although less data is available in veterinary medicine, there is no question that vaccines have been enormously effective in reducing illness and death in veterinary species as well.3-4
