Kris L. Christine

PLEASE do send e-mails to the committee members, especially Grassley, Alons, Bearinger & Shaw asking them to support this bill. If this does not get an "ought to pass" vote from the House Agriculture Committee, it is dead in the water, so it is vital that this committee hear from the public now. If you can ask all of your pet-owning friends & family in Iowa to do the same, it will help to get this important legislation passed more than you could ever imagine!

IOWA Rabies Waiver Bill HF2124 ACTION ALERT: Iowa Rep. Marti Anderson has filed a rabies medical exemption bill, HF 2124, and it has been assigned to the Agriculture Committee.. Please contact Agriculture Chair, Pat Grassley pat.grassley@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221 & Agriculture committee members (below) & ask them to support HF2124. Rabies Challenge Fund letter in support below. Bill Text: http://coolice.legis.iowa.gov/Legislation/85thGA/Bills/HouseFiles/Introduced/HF2124.html House Agriculture Committee: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/committees/committee?ga=85&groupID=694 Pat Grassley Chair pat.grassley@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221 Jarad J. Klein Vice Chair jarad.klein@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221 Helen Miller ( Ranking Member helen.miller@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221 Dwayne Alons dwayne.alons@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221 Clel Baudler clel.baudler@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221 Bruce Bearinger bruce.bearinger@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221 Peter Cownie peter.cownie@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221 Dave Deyoe dave.deyoe@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221 Jack Drake jack.drake@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221 Nancy Dunkel nancy.dunkel@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221 Curtis Hanson curt.hanson@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221 Lee Hein lee.hein@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221 Bobby Kaufmann bobby.kaufmann@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221 Jerry A. Kearns jerry.kearns@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221 Daniel Kelley dan.kelley@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221 Dave Maxwell dave.maxwell@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221 Brian Moore brian.moore@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221 Daniel Muhlbauer dan.muhlbauer@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221 Steven N. Olson steven.olson@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221 Scott Ourth scott.ourth@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221 Todd Prichard todd.prichard@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221 Patti Ruff patti.ruff@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221 Tom Shaw tom.shaw@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221 January 4, 2014 Representative Marti Anderson House of Representatives HD36 RE: Rabies Medical Exemption for Iowa Greetings Representative Anderson: Iowa Code Title 9, Subtitle 1 Chapter 351 Section 351.33 requiring rabies vaccinations for dogs and cats does not contain a provision to exempt unhealthy animals whose veterinarians have determined their medical conditions should preclude vaccination. The 18 states of Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin all have medical exemption clauses in their rabies laws, with Pennsylvania’s Governor Corbett having just signed one into law on July 9, 2013. Labels on rabies vaccines declare that they are for “the vaccination of healthy cats, [and] dogs,” because vaccinating an unhealthy animal may not produce the desired immunologic response. As Pfizer’s rabies vaccine labels warn: " A protective immune response may not be elicited if animals are incubating an infectious disease are malnourished or parasitized are stressed due to shipment or environmental conditions are otherwise immunocompromised…." Passage of a medical exemption clause would allow Iowa’s veterinarians to write waivers for animals whose lives would be jeopardized by or whose medical conditions would be exacerbated by vaccination, including those with past anaphylactic reactions to the rabies vaccine or those suffering from cancer, kidney/liver failure, hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, lymphoma, grand mal seizures, and chronic autoimmune disorders. The American Animal Hospital Association advises veterinarians "...to avoid administration of any vaccine to patients with a history of systemic disease suspected to be associated with previous vaccination (e.g., immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, immune-mediated thrombocytopenia) or known to be caused by vaccine (vaccination-site cutaneous ischemic vasculitis after administration of rabies vaccine).” (1) They further recommend that “[d]ogs receiving immunosuppressive chemotherapy should not be vaccinated.” (2) The State of Maine inserted the following medical exemption into their rabies protocol, Title 7 M.R.S.A., Sec. 3922(3), in April 2005: “5 A. A letter of exemption from vaccination may be submitted for licensure, if a medical reason exists that precludes the vaccination of the dog. Qualifying letters must be in the form of a written statement, signed by a licensed veterinarian, that includes a description of the dog, and the medical reason that precludes vaccination. If the medical reason is temporary, the letter shall indicate a time of expiration of the exemption. B. A dog exempted under the provisions of paragraph 5 A, above, shall be considered unvaccinated, for the purposes of 10-144 C.M.R. Ch.251, Section 7((1), (Rules Governing Rabies Management) in the case of said dog's exposure to a confirmed or suspect rabid animal.” Without a provision for medical waivers in Iowa Code Title 9, Subtitle 1 Chapter 351 Section 351.33, Iowa’s rabies immunization requirement poses an ethical dilemma for veterinarians with seriously ill patients -- they must either violate their Veterinarian’s Oath and administer a rabies vaccine conflicting with sound medical practice and contrary to manufacturer’s labeled instructions, or recommend that clients break the law by not immunizing their unhealthy pets. Additionally, veterinarians face potential liability for any adverse reactions suffered after administering a vaccine inconsistent with labeled directions when immunizing sick animals against rabies. Owners may choose not to comply with the law rather than risk their pets’ lives and subsequently fail to license them to avoid detection. On behalf of The Rabies Challenge Fund Charitable Trust, veterinarian Franchesca Zenitsky, and other Iowa pet owners who have contacted us for assistance, we urge you to introduce legislation to insert a medical exemption clause into Chapter 351 Section 351.33 of the Iowa Code. Please contact me if you would like any scientific data on the rabies vaccine or have any questions. Sincerely, Kris L. Christine Founder, Co-Trustee THE RABIES CHALLENGE FUND (1) American Animal Hospital Association Canine Vaccine Task Force. 2011 Canine Vaccine Guidelines, Recommendations, and Supporting Literature, Revised p. 21 (2) American Animal Hospital Association Canine Vaccine Task Force. 2011 Canine Vaccine Guidelines, Recommendations, and Supporting Literature, Revised p. 29

That is true, but the point is those of us in this group are not anti-vaccine -- we vaccinate our own dogs, just not as often for distemper, hepatitis & parvo as most pet owners do; however we do vaccinate to prevent the core diseases.

Tommy Coyote, perhaps the following information will help you achieve some peace of mind that your dogs are properly protected, but not overvaccinated. If you read the 2011 American Animal Hospital Assosciation Canine Vaccine Guidelines https://www.aahanet.org/PublicDocume...Guidelines.pdf carefully, you will note that they recommend for the core MLV vaccines (distemper, hepatitis, parvo) to be boostered at intervals of 3 years or more. On Page 4 of the report under "comments & recommendations", it states the following about the core MLV vaccines: [Distemper] "Among healthy dogs, the rCDV vaccine has been shown to induce a protective immune response lasting at least 5 yr." [Parvo] "Among healthy dogs, all commercially available MLV-CPV-2 vaccines are expected to induce a sustained protective immune response lasting at least 5 yr." [Hepatitis] "Among healthy dogs, all commercially available MLV-CAV-2 vaccines are expected to induce a sustained protective immune response lasting at least 7 yr." On Page 13 is the following (underscoring & emphasis added): Duration of Immunity and Booster Recommendations In general, DOI to infectious viral and bacterial vaccines is longer than to noninfectious viral and bacterial vaccines, and immunity conferred is generally much longer to viral vaccines than to bacterial vaccines. DOI is often related to the immunologic mechanisms of killing or control of the pathogens, and also to the complexity of the disease and the disease agent. Infectious core vaccines are not only highly effective, they also provide the longest DOI, extending from 5 yr up to the life of the dog. A >3 yr interval is currently recommended for revaccinating adult dogs with infectious viral core vaccines..... The >3 yr recommendation for core vaccines is made on the basis of minimum DOI studies over the past 30 yr for canine vaccines.

Thank you, rushdoggie, it's closer, but still not quite what I meant. There is a growing group of pet owners who are opposed to all or any vaccinations & some people try to claim that Dr. Schultz, Dr. Dodds and I are in that camp, which is not the case. We believe that all dogs should be vaccinated against rabies and the core diseases of distemper, hepatitis & parvo; however, we are strongly opposed to overvaccinating against those diseases.

There is a world of difference between those who are "against vaccination" and those who oppose redundant/unnecessary vaccination of animals. Please do not lump the two in the same category.

Personally, hearing from the public as often as I do on veterinary vaccines issues, I don't believe that the vaccine section of the broadcast was inflammatory or sensational at all, in fact, I believe it underestimates the scope of the problem when it comes to overvaccination of our pets. The program was intended to alert pet owners to be vigilant and informed when it comes to medical care for their precious companions. Minnesota is a current example of why pet owners must be vigilant and informed when it comes to unnecessary vaccinations recommended by veterinarians (see below). Bear in mind that there are no 2 year rabies vaccines licensed in the United States and the survey, sent to all of Minnesota's licensed veterinarians, was conducted by the Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine, the members of which are all veterinarins. Minnesota Rabies Vaccination Survey Report (2012) http://mn.gov/health-licensing-board...cComReport.pdf conducted by the Minnesota Board of Veterinary Medicine shows that 88.8% of veterinarians responding to a rabies survey http://www.rabieschallengefund.org/i...ey_results.pdf from the Board of Veterinary Medicine indicated they give a 3 year rabies vaccine; yet 53.3% fail to give pet owners a corresponding 3 year rabies certificate (36.2% issue a 2 year certificate, 17.1% issue "other"). When asked if they inform clients when they put a different expiration date on the rabies certificate than that on the vaccine administered, 40.9% responded that they did not inform the client.

I completely agree -- every pet owner has the right to full disclosure and informed consent when it comes to veterinary medication, vaccination, or medical procedures, just as we all expect and deserve the same from our physicians, pediatricians, and dentists.

Controversy Over Vaccines Veterinarians divided when it comes to immunity by JoAnna Lou The Bark February 22, 2013 http://thebark.com/content/controversy-over-vaccines "But even with the AVMA and AAHA constantly revisiting their guidelines, pet vaccines remain a tricky topic. It's further complicated by the fact that many studies are sponsored by vaccine manufacturers, which creates a potential bias. Dr. Richard Ford, a 2003 AAHA Canine Vaccination Guidelines Task Force member, has said that the decision to recommend a three year re-vaccination schedule was an arbitrary compromise that was not based on science."

Liz, pet owners have no issue with veterinarians, dentists, pediatricians, or physicians earning a living wage. What most people have a problem with is when they are charged for unnnecessary/redundant medical procedures, testing, medication, or vaccinations.

Not sure about the teeth cleaning, but this is what Consumer Reports said in 2003. Consumer Reports Veterinary Care Without the Bite July 2003 http://www.consumerreports.org/Pets/ "About 66 percent of the 188 million visits to the vet by cats and dogs in 2001 involved vaccinations, and this bread-and-butter business made up 14 percent of the average vet's income. "

Canine parvo type 2, distemper, adeno type 1 and parainfluenza: "These results suggest that the duration of serological response induced by modified-live vaccines against CPV-2, CDV, CAV-1 and CPiV...vaccines, is beyond 18 months and may extend up to 9 years. Accordingly, these vaccines may be considered for use in extended revaccination interval protocols as recommended by current canine vaccine guidelines." http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23186088

Is Your Veterinarian Being Honest with You? ABC News 11/22/13 http://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/veterinarian-honest-20987714 (Please copy & paste link into your browser if it doesn't work by clicking on it.) "Pushing the Shots" at 4:31. Remember as you watch that the American Animal Hospital Association Canine Vaccine Guidelines referenced in this news article show distemper, parvo & hepatitis vaccines have a proven MINIMUM duration of immunity of 7 years by challenge and up to 15 years serologically. The 2003 American Animal Hospital Association Canine Vaccine Guidelines http://www.leerburg.com/special_report.htm state on Page 18 that: “We now know that booster injections are of no value in dogs already immune, and immunity from distemper infection and vaccination lasts for a minimum of 7 years based on challenge studies and up to 15 years (a lifetime) based on antibody titer.” They further state that hepatitis and parvovirus vaccines have been proven to protect for a minimum of 7 years by challenge and up to 9 and 10 years based on antibody count.

http://drjeandoddspethealthresource.tumblr.com/post/58271237209/titer-vaccine-questions#.UoS6II0Vxux Frequently Asked Questions about Titers and Vaccination Protocol by Dr. Dodds We frequently receive questions regarding Dr. Dodds’ Canine Vaccination Protocol and thought we would put together a short FAQ to help your dog. We also invite you to explore the section tagged "Vaccines" “on our blog as we have several posts about specific vaccines, viruses, and titers. Question: The breeder vaccinated before nine weeks of age. How do I start your vaccination protocol now? Answer: Just continue with the regular minimum vaccine protocol of Distemper and Parvovirus at 9 and 14 weeks. Question: It is difficult to find a veterinarian who gives only the DPV (Nobivac Puppy-DPv) per your vaccination protocol. Can you recommend a vet? Answer: You or your veterinarian can purchase it online from such places as Revival Animal Health or KV Vet Supply. Your vet can then administer the shot. Question: We purchased a puppy from a breeder who only vaccinates for Parvovirus. Should my dog also have Distemper? Answer: Your dog does need a distemper virus shot – in fact two doses are needed 3-4 weeks apart. You can purchase it yourself. The only monovalent, single distemper shot on the market today is NeoVacc-D by NeoTech – available online from such places as Revival Animal Health or KV Vet Supply. (Note: you can also purchase a single shot of Parvovirus from the same places.) Question: What kind of rabies vaccine should I get? Answer: The rabies vaccine should be thimerosal (mercury) – free – i.e. Merial IMRAB TF. Question: Are there any methods to stop the potential side effects of vaccine reactions? Answer: You can pre-treat dogs with the oral homeopathics, Thuja and Lyssin, to help blunt any adverse effects of the rabies vaccine. For other vaccines, just Thuja is needed. These homeopathics can be given the day before, the day of, and the day after the vaccine. Some product protocols suggest a different regimen for them. Question: Why won’t my state take my dog’s rabies titer test so he can avoid the vaccine? Answer: At this time, no state will accept a rabies titer in lieu of the shot. Additionally, a rabies titer does not satisfy any state’s medical exemption clause. For a list of states with medical exemptions, please visit The Rabies Challenge Fund Duration of Immunity Study for Rabies Vaccine - Rabies Challenge Fund. There are currently 18 states that officially recognize exemptions from rabies booster, but only on a justified case-by-case basis and following the specific requirements of that state. Question: What is the point of a rabies titer test if my state won’t accept it as a medical exemption? Answer: There are two reasons: 1) Rabies titer results are required by many rabies-free countries or regions in order for dogs and cats to qualify for a reduced quarantine period prior to entry. Some of these regions are Hawaii, Guam, Japan, St. Kitts and Nevis, Australia, New Zealand, France, and the United Kingdom. Always check with the destination authority to verify the pet importation. 2) The CDC states that a rabies titer of 0.1 IU/mL or higher is acceptable to protect a person from rabies. Further, the results of the 5-year Rabies Challenge Fund Study showed that immunologic memory for rabies vaccination remains at or above that level of immunity. This information is helpful for pet guardian peace-of-mind in areas where clinical rabies cases occur, and the dog or cat is medically exempt from further rabies boosters. Question: Every year, the titer shows them as low on their distemper antibodies. What should I do? Answer: I do suggest titer testing your dog every three years for both distemper and parvovirus. Additionally, any measurable titer to either distemper & parvovirus means that the dog has specific committed immune memory cells to respond and afford protection upon exposure. If your dogs consistently have no measurable titer to canine distemper virus, it means mean that they are distemper “non-or low-responders”, an heritable trait where they will never mount immunity to distemper and will always be susceptible. These dogs should not be used for breeding. As non-or low-responders to distemper are rare (1:5000 cases), my suggestion is that you retest at least one of them at Hemopet. Question: My veterinarian believes anytime dogs are in contact with water that they are at HIGH risk for contracting leptospirosis. Answer: Not so. Most Leptospirosis strains (there are about 200) do not cause disease, and of the seven clinically important strains, only four — L. icterohaemorrhagiae, L. canicola, L. grippotyphosa, and L. pomona serovars — are found in today’s vaccines. So, exposure risk depends upon which serovars of Lepto have been documented to cause clinical leptospirosis in the area where you live. You can call the county health department or local animal control and ask. W. Jean Dodds, DVM Hemopet / NutriScan 11561 Salinaz Avenue Garden Grove, CA 92843

http://drjeandoddspethealthresource.tumblr.com/post/66693331640/dodds-dog-vaccination-protocol-2013-2014#.UoS3Uo0Vxux 2013 and 2014 Canine Vaccination Protocol - W. Jean Dodds, DVM Dr. Dodds has made only slight, minor changes to the basic, core Canine Vaccination Protocol she established in previous years. Dr. Dodds bases her decisions on numerous factors such as presence of maternal immunity, prevalence of viruses or other infectious agents in the region, number of reported occurrences of the viruses and other infectious agents, how these agents are spread, and the typical environmental conditions and exposure risk activities of companion animals. Dr. Dodds considers infectious canine hepatitis (adenovirus-1), canine adenovirus-2, bordetella, canine influenza, canine coronavirus, leptospirosis, and Lyme regional and situational. Please research the prevalence in your area, and discuss it with your veterinarian. 2013 and 2014 Vaccination Protocol Note: The following vaccine protocol is offered for those dogs where minimal vaccinations are advisable or desirable. The schedule is one Dr. Dodds recommends and should not be interpreted to mean that other protocols recommended by a veterinarian would be less satisfactory. It’s a matter of professional judgment and choice. 9-10 Weeks Old: Distemper + Parvovirus, MLV (e.g. Merck Nobivac [intervet Progard] Puppy DPV) 14-16 Weeks: Same as above 20 Weeks or Older (if allowable by law): Rabies 1 Year: Distemper + Parvovirus, MLV 1 Year: Rabies, killed 3-year product (give 3-4 weeks apart from distemper/parvovirus booster) Perform vaccine antibody titers for distemper and parvovirus every three years thereafter, or more often, if desired. Vaccinate for rabies virus according to the law, except where circumstances indicate that a written waiver needs to be obtained from the primary care veterinarian. In that case, a rabies antibody titer can also be performed to accompany the waiver request. See The Rabies Challenge Fund Duration of Immunity Study for Rabies Vaccine - Rabies Challenge Fund website. W. Jean Dodds, DVM Hemopet / NutriScan 11561 Salinaz Avenue Garden Grove, CA 92843