People Are Afraid To Vaccinate Their Dogs For 1 Wild Reason — And Vets Are Sounding The Alarm
HuffPost
Pet owners mean well — but misinformation is leading them astray.
Vaccine hesitancy and anti-vaccine sentiments are prevalent throughout the country right now. Vaccination rates are dropping in kindergarteners, measles outbreaks continue to crop up, and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has an anti-vaccine history, is now leading the Department of Health and Human Services.
While the anti-vaccine focus tends to be on shots for humans, another population is also the subject of vaccine hesitancy: dogs.
Pet owners have become increasingly reluctant to give their dogs their required shots, with some even believing the vaccines can cause autism in their dogs. (This is totally wrong, by the way.)
This particularly worries vets as cases of rabies in wildlife are increasing throughout the country, according to NBC News. This increase has not yet been seen in dogs ― and currently, canine rabies is eliminated in the United States ― but if vaccination rates drop, that could change.
Vaccines prevent viral illnesses, bacterial diseases and more in dogs, and they’re very safe. Here’s what to know:
