http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3588457.stm

BBC NEWS

Vets issue animal vaccine warning

Veterinary surgeons are warning that cat and dog owners are spending
tens of millions of pounds on unnecessary and sometimes dangerous vaccines.

More than 30 vets have signed an open letter warning many vaccines for
pets given in yearly doses last much longer.

They have accused the pharmaceutical industry of "fraud by
misrepresentation, fraud by silence and theft by deception".

But drugs companies say they are bound by rules from licensing authorities.

Because of a lack of research it can only give a minimum period of
immunity - usually 12 months.

Yearly vaccines

The vets are warning the pharmaceutical industry and their own
profession about the issue.
The present practice of marketing vaccinations for companion animals may
constitute fraud by misrepresentation, fraud by silence and theft by
deception
Vets' group
In their letter they say that vaccinations for many conditions including
distemper, cat flu and parva virus, last a lot longer than a year and
sometimes for life.

The letter said: "The present practice of marketing vaccinations for
companion animals may constitute fraud by misrepresentation, fraud by
silence and theft by deception."

BBC correspondent Angus Stickler said that vets send out
computer-generated letters telling people to take their pets in for
vaccinations "every year, year in, year out".

He said: "With £20 to £40 to pay and about 13m dogs and cats in the
country it's an industry worth tens of millions of pounds."

The letter also talks about an increase in the risk of "adverse
post-vaccination events" including a list of problems such as
auto-immune disorders, transient infections and a risk of cancer in cats.

Animal testing

Vaccination manufacturers say that, although they can test animals for
one or two years so they can give a minimum cover or immunity, it is
difficult to perform lifelong tests.

They say that to prove immunity lasts for three or four years, or for
life, would mean keeping and testing a large number of cats and dogs for
years on end.
We base our recommendations on the science and the science we have tells
us that we don't know how long immunity lasts in any individual animal
Intervet
David Sutton, a spokesman for Intervet, one of the world's largest
veterinary drug manufacturers, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We
base our recommendations on the science and the science we have tells us
that we don't know how long immunity lasts in any individual animal.

"What we do know is there are some animals that need more frequent
vaccination than others and our vaccine recommendations have to be based
on taking account of those animals."

The vets' warning comes as more than 6,000 vets from all over Europe
gather in Birmingham for the world's largest congress devoted to
domestic pet welfare.

One of the techniques up for discussion at the four-day event is
pheromonotherapy, used to help cats and dogs overcome fears and phobias.

The treatment is based on a study of chemicals, called pheromones,
secreted by canines and felines through glands on their body.

These convey messages to members of the same species about ownership of
territory, gender and mating availability.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/3588457.stm

Published: 2004/04/01 10:12:45 GMT

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