Re: [RC] West Nile Virus and other vaccines - Sky Ranch
It is a proven fact that horses that contracted WNV
that had been vaccinated with at least one WNV shot, much less
the recommended two, had a much high recovery and survival rate than
unvaccinated horses. Unvaccinated horses that exhibited the clinical signs
of WNV had a death rate of approximately 33% in Colorado during the peak of the
virus in 2002 and 2003. My vet in our area told me that he had at least a
50% recovery and survival rate with horses that had had at least one WNV shot
before or during contracting WNV.
At least 25 horses in our area that were NOT
vaccinated for WNV died that first year, in 2003 -- those were the ones that
were reported -- I am certain others died and were simply buried or dumped and
no records kept. I pleaded with a friend to vaccinate her horses in the
spring of 2003, she did not, and her yearling died of WNV that
summer - actually, the vet put it down to keep it from further
suffering.
I vaccinated all my horses in 2002 (at the
time we had 14, including 3 bred mares) and none became ill, all three
foals were born with no problems, all three mares were subsquently rebred and
had no problems foaling - again, and we have had no problems since. I
re-vaccinate all our horses every spring, with one booster
shot.
As far as studies and who would pay for it -- this
is simply ludicrous! to claim no one studies equine disease and vaccines -- just
one example -- the millions that are invested in race horses alone on the East
Coast -- do you really believe that New York, Kentucky, and Florida race
horse breeders didn't care about their horses, much less the money
invested? Studies have been done, and there are veterinarians all over the
world that care about horses and the prevention of disease through
vaccines.
The only equine vaccine that I know of that is of
doubtful efficacy and/or safety is for strangles.
You may be a public health nurse, but you aren't a
veterinarian, are you? This kind of reasoning causes people to NOT
vaccinate, and I think that is unconscionable. It has caused the
death of a lot of horses. Not vaccinating for parvo virus kills a lot of
puppies. Polio used to cripple thousands of children in this
country. Maybe some of you remember the 'iron lung' that people had to
live in, so they could breathe, before the polio vaccines became
available?
I'm not lecturing you, because you can certainly
choose not to be vaccinated or have your children vaccinated. But don't
lecture others that vaccines are useless -- that is simply not true -- and I
can't stand to see another horse or dog die because of ignorance, for a $5, or
$10, or $20, easily administered vaccination.
I am writing in respone to equine vaccines. I personally believe that all
vaccines do not have the efficacy that is advertised. I also am convinced
that they tamper with the immune system to the detriment of the animal's
health ( all animals...dogs, cats , humans, horses)
I don't think there will ever be any research done to support this.
Because who would pay for it ?
