BOSTON – The anti-vaccine sentiment prevalent in the United States extends beyond human health, as new research highlights that a significant number of dog owners harbor doubts about vaccinating their pets, a trend that poses risks to both animals and their human companions.
A study conducted by Boston University’s School of Public Health has unearthed that 53% of dog owners exhibit some degree of hesitancy when it comes to canine vaccinations. Within this group, 37% perceive these vaccinations as unsafe, 22% as ineffective, and 30% as unnecessary.
Sinjin Chun, a resident of Long Beach, CA, stands in contrast to these findings. He ensures that his dog, Kobe, is up-to-date on all necessary vaccinations.
“I think it’s pretty necessary,” Sinjin remarked. “Dogs are just a lot dirtier than we are, and they can pick up a lot of different things. And if they’re spreading those things around, it’s not good.”
According to data from the American Pet Product Association, approximately 65 million households across the U.S. own at least one dog.
Authors of the study expressed astonishment at the results they uncovered. Dr. Matt Motta noted that an unvaccinated pet poses a risk not only to other animals but also to the humans in close proximity.
“We knew that Canine Vaccine Hesitancy existed because of our anecdotal and lived experiences,” Motta stated. “We didn’t know how pervasive it was.”
Nearly all states mandate rabies vaccinations for pets, and veterinarians recommend various other vaccines to safeguard dogs against diseases.
Dr. Todd Calsyn, a veterinarian at Laurel Pet Hospital in West Hollywood, California, emphasized the potential consequences of forgoing pet vaccinations: “Obviously if you get rabies, if you don’t get treated right away or whatever, you die. Parvo and distemper, for sure, can be fatal.”
The study further uncovered that misinformation surrounding vaccines has also affected pets. Dr. Motta highlighted a concerning trend, stating, “Nearly two-fifths of dog owners believe that routine vaccines administered to dogs can cause them to develop autism, which is a fundamentally human diagnosis, not something that we observe in canine populations.”
Experts are quick to dispel this notion, emphasizing that there is no scientific evidence linking vaccines to autism, whether in humans or animals.
