Core Vaccines

When considering the relative risks and benefits of vaccination, pet owners should consider the words of Judith DeCava in her book, “Vaccination Examining The Record”, “a person not vaccinated has one
risk, catching the disease, where a vaccinated person has two risks;
catching the disease and damage from the vaccine.”

Pet Vaccination: Risks and Benefits

DISTEMPER

Distemper is a rare but serious viral disease that dogs are still considered at risk from in many developed countries. It affects all aspects of a dog’s health eventually attacking the central nervous system causing spasm, seizures and paralysis. The wide variety of symptoms found under this disease classification is said to be due to the distemper virus’ lowering of the overall immune system which in turn allows for secondary opportunistic infections that produce the diverse clinical symptoms.

Reasons to Vaccinate

Distemper can have a high mortality rate, without access to a homeopathic vet.
The distemper vaccine is relatively effective. One dose given to a puppy over 12 weeks of age will protect him within hours and last a lifetime.
Although no vaccine is safe, distemper is one of the less controversial vaccines.

Reasons NOT to Vaccinate

Distemper is a relatively rare disease.
Like many modified live vaccines, the distemper vaccine has been known to create the disease it was intended to prevent.
The distemper vaccine has been strongly linked to joint disease and arthritis – two increasingly common chronic diseases in dogs.
The risk of Vaccine Induced Autoimmune Disease is greater than the risk of distemper.
The distemper vaccine likely caused the parvovirus outbreaks in the 1970s.
The distemper vaccine may cause parvo in young puppies.
Maternal antibodies are likely to block the vaccine until 12 weeks of age.
Post Vaccinal Encephalitis is a recognized complication of the vaccine.
Vaccination suppresses the immune system for several days, increasing the puppy’s risk of developing disease.
The vaccine can cause persistent skin problems and allergies.
Distemper vaccination can create a chronic form of the disease, the symptoms of which include watery eyes and nose, chronic gastritis, hepatitis and pancreatitis, chronic diarrhea, food sensitivities, epilepsy and rear leg paralysis, spondylitis, lip fold dermatitis, allergic eruptions on the face, eruptions between the toes and a habit of licking the feet, interdigital dermatitis, kennel cough and bronchitis, lack of appetite and failure to thrive.

PARVOVIRUS

Parvovirus is a common disease that appeared throughout the developed world in the 1970’s as a direct result of vaccination. Being a canine form of Feline Viral Enteritis, it is thought that the virus ‘jumped’ through dogs coming in contact with vaccinated cat’s infectious stool, or mutated during the production of the distemper vaccine which was cultivated on infected cats kidneys, (very similar reports have been made regarding the polio vaccine in humans). The disease is only of real concern in puppies, as 90% of dogs over the age of 8 weeks will survive infection without complication, with death in mature healthy dogs being almost unheard of. While mature dogs usually only experience a type of diarrhea and enteritis, young puppies are at serious risk of heart failure and chronic cardiac problems.

Reasons to Vaccinate
The parvo vaccine is effective if given after 12 to 16 weeks. If given before this age, the maternal antibodies are likely to block the vaccine.

Reasons NOT to Vaccinate

Vaccinating for parvo keep the disease in the environment. There is no vaccine for the original strain of parvovirus, CAV-1 yet dogs no longer get sick from it. The newer strains, which do cause illness in dogs, are the result of mutation due to vaccination. The same issue is happening worldwide with the polio vaccine.
Like other modified live vaccines, the parvo vaccine has been known to create the disease it was intended to prevent.
Puppies are likely to be exposed to parvo when brought to the vet’s office for their parvo vaccination. It takes two weeks for the vaccine to protect the puppy, so not only can the vaccine cause parvo in puppies, the trip to the vet’s office can.
Parvo is more treatable in unvaccinated puppies, especially over the age of 8 weeks. Vaccinating before that age is just as likely to not protect the puppy as it is to protect him.
The risk of Vaccine Induced Autoimmune Disease is greater than the risk of parvo.
The parvo vaccine has been linked to heart disease.
Vaccination suppresses the immune system for several days, increasing the puppy’s risk of developing disease.
Parvovirus vaccination can create a chronic form of the disease, the symptoms of which include chronic gastritis, hepatitis and pancreatitis, chronic diarrhea and food sensitivities.

KENNEL COUGH

As the name suggests ,this disease is thought to be a result of the over crowding and stress produced by boarding many dogs together in close proximity. In addition to stress, the bordetella bacteria is commonly associated with infection, but as with the human influenza, a broad range of microorganisms and mutations appear to be involved. An irritated, dry and persistent cough are the typical symptoms of this condition. Kennel cough is almost always self limiting.

Reasons to Vaccinate

Anecdotal evidence the vaccine is effective
Dog owners choose the vaccination so they can use boarding kennels or daycares

Reasons NOT to Vaccinate

Because of the various environmental and microbial causes of this disease, the kennel cough is not a vaccine preventable disease. (Ronald Schultz)
The disease is mild and self limiting.
There are alternatives to boarding kennels and training centers that require kennel cough. Pet sitters are often inexpensive and in-home training is always available. There are also many progressive facilities that will accept pets without kennel cough vaccination.
Like other modified live vaccines, the kennel cough vaccine has been known to create the disease it was intended to prevent.
The risk of Vaccine Induced Autoimmune Disease and the severity of its symptoms are greater than the risk and severity of kennel cough.
The kennel cough vaccine can pneumonia.

LEPTOSPIROSIS

Although given a single name, this disease is comprised of over 230 serovars, eight of which can infect cats and dogs. Leptospira are passed in urine and penetrate mucous membranes or abraded skin and multiply rapidly upon entering the blood. The bacterium continues to spread within the body and replicates further in many tissues including the kidney, liver, spleen, central nervous system (CNS), eyes, and genital tract. Thereafter, increases in serum antibodies clear the spirochetes from most organs, but bacteria may persist in the kidneys and be shed in urine for weeks to months. The extent of damage to internal organs is variable depending on the virulence of the organism and host susceptibility.

Reasons to Vaccinate

Lepto can be a serious disease.
Some (but not all) of the serovars are covered by vaccines.

Reasons NOT to Vaccinate

The vaccine may or may not protect against the serovar the dog is exposed to. Most of the clinical cases of leptospirosis reported in dogs in the US are caused by serovars L. grippotyphosa, L. pomona and L. bratislava. Vaccines do not protect against all of these serovars.
Lepto is not prevalent in many regions.
The severity of the disease increases with each vaccine given.
Vaccine protection against lepto is short lived (6 months).
Every lepto vaccine contains an aluminum adjuvant which causes cancer.
The risk of Vaccine Induced Autoimmune Disease is greater than the risk of lepto and the lepto vaccine carries a higher risk than most other vaccines.
The lepto vaccine can cause lepto. In the Canine Health Concern vaccine survey, 100% of dogs with lepto contracted it just after being vaccinated.
The lepto vaccine is very immunosuppressive. Reactions are common.

Dogs Naturally Magazine