# Yearly rabies vaccinations-a scam?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yearly-rabies-vaccinations-a-scam/357508>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 20, 2006, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yearly-rabies-vaccinations-a-scam/357508 "2006-05-20T06:27:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yearly-rabies-vaccinations-a-scam/357508/21 "2006-05-22T11:33:31Z")

</div>

> [@vetbridge](#):
>
> I agree. In Mexico, where vaccination is not done largely due to economics, dogs are the primary vector for rabies.
> 
> From: [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list\_uids=8261565&dopt=Abstract](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=8261565&dopt=Abstract)

Holy crap! That article mentions Hermosillo, Mexico, and I just got back from there relatively recently. _With my dog._ Due to that kind of travel and the need for current documentation everywhere, my poor dog’s been over-vaccinated for rabies the last couple of years. There’s the initial shot, the booster, the “I forgot the record so give her another one” shot, the “we’ve got to get back into the USA with a new record” shot, and so on. I’m about to take her into Canada for a spell, but I have all of the documentation this time.

In the state of Guanajuato, though, they’re a little more progressive about rabies. The public health department constantly campaigns neighborhoods and knocks on doors to administer rabies vaccinations _free of of charge_. I don’t know the incidence of rabies there, but it’s probably still relatively high because it seems that everywhere you go in Mexico, there are street dogs all over the place – nasty, mangy things.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yearly-rabies-vaccinations-a-scam/357508/22 "2006-05-22T16:45:29Z")

</div>

> [@AnabolicDoberman](#):
>
> Do cats and dogs really need vaccines once a year? Or is this just so the vets and county can make a buck more often?

Tennessee requires annual rabies shot and tag.  
City requires a $5.oo tag in addition. Seems sensless as cost of the tag, records etc. most likely eat up most of the revenue.  
But then the city counsil has to exhibit it’s “wisdom.”  
One good thing is “leash or fence” ordinance to minimize free roaming dogs and packs.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\
**Post date:** [May 22, 2006, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yearly-rabies-vaccinations-a-scam/357508/23 "2006-05-22T17:11:40Z")

</div>

My vet offers the 1-year, 3-year, and I believe a 5-year vaccination. It rocks.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yearly-rabies-vaccinations-a-scam/357508.md?page=1)