Vaccine hesitancy among pet owners is growing

By Simon F. Haeder, Texas A&M University Pet owners, too, are starting to become concerned about the side effects of vaccines. Noah Seelam/AFP via Getty Images When most people think about vaccines, they typically think about humans: Experts warn that when large numbers of people are unvaccinated, it can lead to severe consequences, including disease outbreaks and higher rates of illness and death, particularly among the most vulnerable. The economic costs to society can also be substantial. However, vaccines also provide important protections for our nonhuman companions, including the most common pets: dogs and cats. Yet, as my research published in 2024 in the American Journal of Veterinary Research and the journal Vaccine indicates, vaccine hesitancy is beginning to spill over into some people’s decisions about whether to vaccinate their pets. Vaccines and pets A large body of research has confirmed that U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved vaccines are safe for most people. Yet vaccines have never been universally accepted, dating back to the first inoculations against smallpox. Vaccine hesitancy, or concerns over getting vaccinated, has only intensified in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Growing concerns about vaccines have important implications that go well beyond the individual making decisions...