Board OKs change in rabies policy

PROVIDENCE –– The Rhode Island Rabies Control Board has approved a change in policy that could pave the way for regulations that will allow the vaccination of dogs and cats every three years, rather than every two years.

The board approved a proposal to work with lawyers on regulatory language that would allow vaccines to be administered in accordance with the “durations of immunity” listed on the manufacturers’ label, said the state’s veterinarian, Dr. Scott Marshall.

At present, the regulations mandate vaccination every two years. Some veterinarians are meeting that requirement by using vaccines that provide three years of protection.

Critics petitioned the board, arguing that pets were being subjected to vaccination unnecessarily, despite widespread evidence that the treatment can produce harmful side effects.

The rabies board also voted its support for regulatory language that would empower veterinarians to exempt certain pets from vaccination requirements under special circumstances, Marshall said.

The board’s vote of support for the exemption is contingent on several factors, including legal protection for members of the board in the event that an exempted animal contracts rabies and gives it to a person.

— Mark Reynolds