The purpose of vaccination is to protect your dog from potentially fatal infections by viruses such as distemper, rabies, and others. However, as with any medical procedure, we must ask the simple and direct questions, "Is it safe? Is it effective? Do the benefits outweigh the risks?"

"Booster" vaccination, as it is practiced today, is not always effective, and frequently has adverse sideeffects, either short or long term. With the use of combination
(4 in 1, 6 in 1) vaccines that are repeated year after year, the frequency and severity of these sideeffects in our dogs has increased dramatically.
Not surprisingly, most of the problems involve the immune system. After all, the immune system is what vaccines are designed to stimulate. But they do so in a very unnatural way that can overwhelm and confuse the immune system. The body may overreact to normally harmless substances with allergies and other skin disorders, or even produce antibodies to itself (autoimmune disease). At the same time, the body may be sluggish in responding to those things that it should reject, such as common viruses, bacteria, fungus, and parasites. This can result in increased susceptibility to acute infections, chronic tapeworm problems, or in more degenerative cases, cancer.

Booster vaccinations are unnecessary. Studies are now showing that these vaccinations are effective for many years and most probably for life. Vaccinated animals do not need any boosters.

All Veterinary Schools in North America Changing Vaccination Protocols:

Recent editions of the Senior Dogs Project's newsletter have reported on the ever-broadening trend of eliminating vaccinations for adult dogs, except for rabies, where required by state law.
All 27 veterinary schools in North America are in the process of changing their protocols for vaccinating dogs and cats. Here are the new guidelines under consideration:

"Dogs immune system matures fully at 6 months. If a modified live virus (MLV) vaccine is given after 6 months of age, it produces immunity, which is good for the life of the pet (i.e., canine distemper, parvo, and feline distemper). If another MLV vaccine is given a year later, the antibodies from the first vaccine neutralize the antigens of the second vaccine and there is little or no effect. The titer is not 'boosted' nor are more memory cells induced.
Not only are annual boosters for parvo and distemper unnecessary, they subject the dog to potential risks of allergic reactions and immune-mediated hemolytic anemia. There is no scientific documentation to back up label claims for annual administration of MLV vaccines”.

If, for whatever reason, you decide that you must vaccinate your dog, I would make the following recommendations:

• avoid multivalent (combination) vaccines
• give parvo separately from distemper
• never give the rabies vaccine at the same time as any other vaccine
• vaccinate every 2-3 years, instead of yearly
• after vaccination, give Echinacea, Propolis or Dermisal for seven days as a detoxification therapy

Mr. James Baldwin, greyhound authority and breeder of German shepherd dogs wrote in Dog World:
"Vaccination has an insidious effect on general canine health and it is noted by many observant dog-breeders that it is one of the causes of chronic skin disorders, especially of demodectic mange."