Skip to content

IOWA Rabies Waiver Bill ACTION ALERT

Basenji Health Issues & Questions
  • IOWA Rabies Waiver Bill HF2124 ACTION ALERT: Iowa Rep. Marti Anderson has filed a rabies medical exemption bill, HF 2124, and it has been assigned to the Agriculture Committee.. Please contact Agriculture Chair, Pat Grassley pat.grassley@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221 & Agriculture committee members (below) & ask them to support HF2124. Rabies Challenge Fund letter in support below. Bill Text: http://coolice.legis.iowa.gov/Legislation/85thGA/Bills/HouseFiles/Introduced/HF2124.html

    House Agriculture Committee: https://www.legis.iowa.gov/committees/committee?ga=85&groupID=694

    Pat Grassley Chair pat.grassley@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221
    Jarad J. Klein Vice Chair jarad.klein@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221
    Helen Miller ( Ranking Member helen.miller@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221
    Dwayne Alons dwayne.alons@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221
    Clel Baudler clel.baudler@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221
    Bruce Bearinger bruce.bearinger@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221
    Peter Cownie peter.cownie@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221
    Dave Deyoe dave.deyoe@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221
    Jack Drake jack.drake@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221
    Nancy Dunkel nancy.dunkel@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221
    Curtis Hanson curt.hanson@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221
    Lee Hein lee.hein@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221
    Bobby Kaufmann bobby.kaufmann@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221
    Jerry A. Kearns jerry.kearns@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221
    Daniel Kelley dan.kelley@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221
    Dave Maxwell dave.maxwell@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221
    Brian Moore brian.moore@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221
    Daniel Muhlbauer dan.muhlbauer@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221
    Steven N. Olson steven.olson@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221
    Scott Ourth scott.ourth@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221
    Todd Prichard todd.prichard@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221
    Patti Ruff patti.ruff@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221
    Tom Shaw tom.shaw@legis.iowa.gov (515) 281-3221

    January 4, 2014

    Representative Marti Anderson

    House of Representatives HD36

    RE: Rabies Medical Exemption for Iowa

    Greetings Representative Anderson:

    Iowa Code Title 9, Subtitle 1 Chapter 351 Section 351.33 requiring rabies vaccinations for dogs and cats does not contain a provision to exempt unhealthy animals whose veterinarians have determined their medical conditions should preclude vaccination.

    The 18 states of Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin all have medical exemption clauses in their rabies laws, with Pennsylvania?s Governor Corbett having just signed one into law on July 9, 2013.

    Labels on rabies vaccines declare that they are for ?the vaccination of healthy cats, [and] dogs,? because vaccinating an unhealthy animal may not produce the desired immunologic response. As Pfizer?s rabies vaccine labels warn: " A protective immune response may not be elicited if animals are incubating an infectious disease are malnourished or parasitized are stressed due to shipment or environmental conditions are otherwise immunocompromised?." Passage of a medical exemption clause would allow Iowa?s veterinarians to write waivers for animals whose lives would be jeopardized by or whose medical conditions would be exacerbated by vaccination, including those with past anaphylactic reactions to the rabies vaccine or those suffering from cancer, kidney/liver failure, hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, lymphoma, grand mal seizures, and chronic autoimmune disorders.

    The American Animal Hospital Association advises veterinarians "…to avoid administration of any vaccine to patients with a history of systemic disease suspected to be associated with previous vaccination (e.g., immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, immune-mediated thrombocytopenia) or known to be caused by vaccine (vaccination-site cutaneous ischemic vasculitis after administration of rabies vaccine).? (1) They further recommend that ?[d]ogs receiving immunosuppressive chemotherapy should not be vaccinated.? (2)

    The State of Maine inserted the following medical exemption into their rabies protocol, Title 7 M.R.S.A., Sec. 3922(3), in April 2005:

    ?5 A. A letter of exemption from vaccination may be submitted for licensure, if a medical reason exists that precludes the vaccination of the dog. Qualifying letters must be in the form of a written statement, signed by a licensed veterinarian, that includes a description of the dog, and the medical reason that precludes vaccination. If the medical reason is temporary, the letter shall indicate a time of expiration of the exemption.

    B. A dog exempted under the provisions of paragraph 5 A, above, shall be considered unvaccinated, for the purposes of 10-144 C.M.R. Ch.251, Section 7(B)(1), (Rules Governing Rabies Management) in the case of said dog's exposure to a confirmed or suspect rabid animal.?

    Without a provision for medical waivers in Iowa Code Title 9, Subtitle 1 Chapter 351 Section 351.33, Iowa?s rabies immunization requirement poses an ethical dilemma for veterinarians with seriously ill patients – they must either violate their Veterinarian?s Oath and administer a rabies vaccine conflicting with sound medical practice and contrary to manufacturer?s labeled instructions, or recommend that clients break the law by not immunizing their unhealthy pets. Additionally, veterinarians face potential liability for any adverse reactions suffered after administering a vaccine inconsistent with labeled directions when immunizing sick animals against rabies. Owners may choose not to comply with the law rather than risk their pets? lives and subsequently fail to license them to avoid detection.

    On behalf of The Rabies Challenge Fund Charitable Trust, veterinarian Franchesca Zenitsky, and other Iowa pet owners who have contacted us for assistance, we urge you to introduce legislation to insert a medical exemption clause into Chapter 351 Section 351.33 of the Iowa Code. Please contact me if you would like any scientific data on the rabies vaccine or have any questions.

    Sincerely,

    Kris L. Christine

    Founder, Co-Trustee

    THE RABIES CHALLENGE FUND

    (1) American Animal Hospital Association Canine Vaccine Task Force. 2011 Canine Vaccine Guidelines, Recommendations, and Supporting Literature, Revised p. 21

    (2) American Animal Hospital Association Canine Vaccine Task Force. 2011 Canine Vaccine Guidelines, Recommendations, and Supporting Literature, Revised p. 29

Suggested Topics

  • Rabies Vaccine reaction

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    15
    0 Votes
    15 Posts
    3k Views
    eeeefarmE
    There are different types of rabies vaccine. The ones most likely to cause a reaction have thimerosal in them. A friend's dog (not a Basenji) had an anaphylactic reaction to a rabies shot, and she would have lost him had the vet not still been present and able to counter it with epinephrine. In the future they made sure the shots he got did not have thimerosal. Usually reactions aren't quite so dramatic, but something to keep in mind. I also used blood titers to avoid unnecessary vaccinations with my dogs. More expensive, but worth it!
  • 0 Votes
    2 Posts
    2k Views
    ?
    Lucky for us in New Zealand we don't require the rabies vaccine, but it is great news that work is being done so dog's in countries that require the vaccine are not subjected to unnecessary poisoning. Glad there are people out there giving their all into making the use of vaccines safer for our pets as they can't speak for themselves. Hope everyone involved gets the recognition they deserve for their hard work and persistence and hope the results in the coming years are all positive. Jolanda and Kaiser
  • 0 Votes
    1 Posts
    1k Views
    No one has replied
  • Should I be worried about rabies?

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    9
    0 Votes
    9 Posts
    4k Views
    P
    This sucks! I can't find any evidence of bat poop on my balcony anywhere. There's also really no where for them to hide. The bat was found where it could have possibly come off my balcony where the pup was. She was on the third floor balcony, and the bat was all the way downstairs, probably about three feet from the beginning of my actual balcony. When you come downstairs, there's a little step leading down to the sidewalk. The bat was perched on this part of the sidewalk, hanging upside down. I could have sworn it was slightly twitching when I first saw it, but it could have been the wind. I sat outside to warn my neighbor, because they also have kids and would have to step right where the bat was. When he came home and I warned him, he smacked the bat down with a piece of wood he just do happened to be carying. I asked him of it was alive and he said it was dead. I told him I had called someone to come get it, but I guess he took things into his own hands. I called the vet but of course they were closed. So I left a message explaining what happened and asked what he thinks I should do. They have an emergency clinic but since I don't even know if her and the bar had actual contact I'm not considering it an emergency, unless she shows some dramatic behavior change between now and Monday. Everything I've been able to find online seems to say that a 10 day confinement to check for symptoms is fine.
  • Delaware sb 147 action alert

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    4
    0 Votes
    4 Posts
    2k Views
    Kris_ChristineK
    Rabies 'over-vaccination' targeted in Delaware by Marc Selinger, The Examiner 7/2/12 http://www.examiner.com/article/rabies-over-vaccination-targeted-delaware "Sen. Karen Peterson, the measure’s main sponsor. “It is needed because some veterinarians tell their clients that rabies shots must be administered annually when, in fact, they are using three-year vaccines. This practice can and has resulted in the deaths of dogs who were over-vaccinated.”
  • Reaction on Rabies Shot!

    Basenji Health Issues & Questions
    22
    0 Votes
    22 Posts
    7k Views
    ComicDom1C
    I guess we have been lucky. Roo got his Rabies shot about 3 weeks ago and was fine. We also used Advantix on him with no issues. With the flooding we have had here recently, the Mosquitos have been terrible. We even stopped walking in the park because they are so bad and will swarm on Roo. Jason