# If the vet has a vaccine for West Nile...

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-vet-has-a-vaccine-for-west-nile/204240>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 28, 2003, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-vet-has-a-vaccine-for-west-nile/204240 "2003-09-28T02:00:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Weeks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbce88/32.png) [@Weeks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weeks)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-vet-has-a-vaccine-for-west-nile/204240/1 "2003-09-28T02:00:05Z")

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…for my HORSE…why doesn’t MY doctor have one for me?

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**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-vet-has-a-vaccine-for-west-nile/204240/2 "2003-09-28T02:15:58Z")

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Because horses are smarter, more attractive, and more expensive than humans. But as a horse owner you already knew that.

Offhand, I’d have to say it’s got to do with what a godawful drawn-out process it is to get anything approved for human use.

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**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-vet-has-a-vaccine-for-west-nile/204240/3 "2003-09-28T02:33:44Z")

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It’s just like the Lyme Disease vaccine for dogs…

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**Author:** ![Weeks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbce88/32.png) [@Weeks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weeks)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-vet-has-a-vaccine-for-west-nile/204240/4 "2003-09-28T02:37:44Z")

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What a rip-off. I’ll bet vets inject themselves with it when nobody’s lookin’…

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**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\
**Post date:** [September 28, 2003, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-vet-has-a-vaccine-for-west-nile/204240/5 "2003-09-28T11:00:55Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Weeks \*  
> \*\*…for my HORSE…why doesn’t MY doctor have one for me? \*\*

1. Like previously said, it is easier (not to mean it is of less quality or ineffective) to get vaccines for animals approved for the FDA. I’m not saying it is an easy process, it is just less complicated than with humans.

2. West Nile virus is a big issue in the horse industry. In humans, only [1 out of 150 develop serious symptoms.](http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/wnv_factSheet.htm). In horses, the mortality rate is about 32-35%. And to survive, many of those remain under intensive care of a veterinarian for days.

3. Even with a vaccine, in places like Florida the animals have to be vaccinated 3-4 times a year. Imagine how difficult that would be to implement in a human population.

For humans, by far, the best way to combat this disease is by prevention. [A few guidelines from the CDC](http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/prevention_info.htm)