Can a Vaccinated Dog Still Get Rabies?
The Real Truth about Vaccines
Vaccines aren’t perfect, but you wouldn’t think that a vaccinated dog could still get rabies, right?
And fortunately, they rarely do!
Can a Vaccinated Dog Still Get Rabies?
It can happen though.
Tragically, a family in Dallas, Georgia recently found that out when the dog they had recently adopted from a local shelter ended up developing rabies.
The vaccinated dog was fine for about six weeks, and then, her “attitude suddenly changed,” and she bit one of her new owners.
So yes, a fully vaccinated dog can, very rarely, still get rabies.
How?
“…records show the animal received two rabies vaccinations over the last two years.”
Shelter dog diagnosed with rabies after biting owner
Do rabies vaccines sometimes just not work?
“Results suggested that rabies is uncommon in vaccinated dogs and cats but can occur.”
Rabies in vaccinated dogs and cats in the United States, 1997-2001
While very unusual, studies have found rare cases of rabies vaccine failure in dogs and cats.
“Thirty-nine of 1,525 rabid dogs (2.56%) and 30 of 5,530 rabid cats (0.54%) were documented as having a history of rabies vaccination, and 15 true vaccine failures (11 dogs and 4 cats) were identified among these during the study period.”
Vaccination protects animal and human health and reduces the economic burden of preventable cases: rabies in vaccinated dogs and cats (2002-2022)
Still, the overwhelming majority of dogs and cats who develop rabies are unvaccinated.
What else?
They don’t know how or when this dog was exposed to rabies. Remember, rabies can have a variable incubation time, so the exposure could have been 10 days or 10 months before the dog got sick.
One thing we do know though, is that with a known exposure, the dog would have received a rabies vaccine booster, and that would almost certainly have helped protect her from developing rabies.
Fake Rabies Vaccine Certificates
Is there another possibility?
It’s possible that the dog wasn’t really fully vaccinated.
Hopefully that’s not the case, but the dog could have had a forged vaccinated certificate!
“A Western New York woman was arrested in connection to what police called forged rabies vaccination certificates. The Wyoming County Sheriff’s Office recently arrested 43-year-old Jessica A. Musall of Perry following an investigation. It all began after the Town of Perry raised concerns about the validity of a rabies vaccination certificate.”
WNY woman accused of faking rabies certificates for her dogs
People forging vaccine certificates is a thing now…
What isn’t a thing?
Rabies viruses that have mutated to evade our rabies vaccines! Although I’m sure we will hear from some anti-vaccine influencers that claim this is why this dog developed rabies…
Bottom line - while it is possible that a vaccinated dog could have developed rabies, that is certainly no reason to skip or delay getting your pets vaccinated.
More on Rabies Vaccines
When Was the Last Time Someone Died from Being Bitten by a Rabid Dog in the United States?
Shelter dog diagnosed with rabies after biting owner https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/shelter-dog-diagnosed-rabies-after-biting-owner
Rabies in vaccinated dogs and cats in the United States, 1997-2001
WNY woman accused of faking rabies certificates for her dogs https://www.wgrz.com/article/news/crime/woman-faces-felony-charges-for-fake-rabies-certificates/71-3d492b91-c578-4abd-aec9-3fe0be208dea
State warns pet owners about fake rabies certificates https://wgme.com/news/local/state-warns-pet-owners-about-fake-rabies-certificates
Instructions for Veterinarians and Government Officials on Reviewing Rabies Certificates