The impact of anti-vaccine activists is spreading beyond humans. A recent study found many dog owners are skeptical of vaccinating their pets — even though that leaves animals and humans at risk.
The study, led by a researcher from Boston University’s School of Public Health and published in the journal Vaccine, found a sizable minority of dog owners have some hesitancy toward canine vaccines. Over one-third (37%) said they believed the shots were unsafe; 22% thought they were ineffective; and 30% thought they were unnecessary. Overall, 53% of dog owners endorsed at least one of these three misconceptions.
“My co-authors and I were stunned by how prevalent this phenomenon is,” lead author Dr. Matt Motta told CBS News.
Motta says an unvaccinated pet is a danger not just to other animals but also to the humans around them.
“If there are more unvaccinated dogs out there, the risk of disease transmission grows,” Motta said.
Because people will use bullshit religious exemptions as an excuse to endanger others?
It’s not like laws mandating vaccines are anything new. It’s been required to attend public school for a long time, and until recently nobody cared.