More than half of U.S. dog owners expressed concerns about vaccinating their dogs, including against rabies, according to a new study published Saturday in the journal Vaccine. The study comes as anti-vaccine sentiments among humans have exploded in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pets are now often considered to be a member of the family, and their health-care decisions are weighed with the same gravity. But the consequences of not vaccinating animals can be just as dire as humans. Dogs, for example, are responsible for 99% of rabies cases globally. Rabies, which is often transmitted via a bite, is almost always fatal for animals and people once clinical signs appear. A drop in rabies vaccination could constitute a serious public health threat.

In the new study, the authors surveyed 2,200 people and found 53% had some concern about the safety, efficacy or necessity of canine vaccines. Nearly 40% were concerned that vaccines could cause dogs to develop autism, a theory without any scientific merit.

  • lntl
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    2
    arrow-down
    13
    ·
    1 year ago

    this headline is meant to get a rise out of readers. are these numbers greater than they used to be? we can’t say they’re on the rise without a prior measurement

    • Fades@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      12
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      Maybe don’t stop reading at the headline then, or better yet read the actual fucking paper they reference.

      If you truly cared the answers are there

      • lntl
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        edit-2
        1 year ago

        the number is not in the article op posted. op didn’t post a link to the paper, my comment is on the article not the paper.

        your tone sucks. people don’t deserve to be spoken to that way and your actions have consequences. do better.