IOWA Rabies Waiver Bill ACTION ALERT
Off-topic spam
--
Kris L. Christine Kris.L.Christine.d3c2658 catbanter.com wrote:
X-Received: by 10.43.79.196 with SMTP id zr4mr7199423icb.3.1391882465657; Sat, 08 Feb 2014 10:01:05 -0800 (PST)
MIME-Version: 1.0
Path: eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!feeder.eternal-september.org!news.glorb.com!uq10no10965727igb.0!n ews-out.google.com!y18ni6638qap.1!nntp.google.com!Xl.t ags.giganews.com!border1.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nnt p.giganews.com!local2.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nntp.n ewsgroupbanter.com!news.newsgroupbanter.com.POSTED !not-for-mail
NNTP-Posting-Date: Sat, 08 Feb 2014 12:01:05 -0600
From: Kris L. Christine Kris.L.Christine.d3c2658 catbanter.com
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Subject: IOWA Rabies Waiver Bill ACTION ALERT
Date: Sat, 8 Feb 2014 17:09:33 +0000
Message-ID: Kris.L.Christine.d3c2658 catbanter.com
Organization: CatBanter.com
User-Agent:
X-Newsreader:
X-Originating-IP:
Lines: 167
X-Usenet-Provider: http://www.giganews.com
X-Trace: sv3-2IgTOx4756kx/1zznk8FdID9JnjH4yr93qM0idT88Eya/K/ACKN5p2AV+wAkf8bAbuTM3Cq7gAA2l7l!1OlTZ9cy1O+MlViog oShBjiVzNIhXesCIr6AI3YzumUEFPNLd1qFuqHq6DZ/y1KJKGgnBedLgZAv!xOx8VRj1AbSpKgy/
X-Complaints-To: abuse newsgroupbanter.com
X-Abuse-and-DMCA-Info: Please be sure to forward a copy of ALL headers
X-Abuse-and-DMCA-Info: Otherwise we will be unable to process your complaint properly
X-Postfilter: 1.3.40
X-Original-Lines: 95
X-Original-Bytes: 7550
Xref: news.eternal-september.org rec.pets.cats.health+behav:11654
*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://tinyurl.com/nq9shv6
House Agriculture Committee:
https://www.legis.iowa.gov/committee...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
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
--
Kris L. Christine
|