Hi there!
 
>The question?  With the violent reactions to vaccinations that I've read
>about lately, should I still vaccinate them and risk them reacting?
 
My opinion?  In a word: YES!  Canine distemper is airborne.  It can enter
your home on your clothing or shoes or by other means.  Unfortunately CD
is nearly 100% fatal, so vaccination is worth the risk.  If you have
experienced a reaction before or if you are concerned, talk to your vet
about pretreating your ferrets before vaccinating.
 
As for rabies, it is considerably less likely that your ferrets could
contract rabies, however it's best to vaccinate anyway.  First, you are
protecting them against the outside possibility that they might contract
the disease.  Second, if one of your guys nips or scratches someone, you
have a much better chance of having them quarantined rather than
killed/tested.
 
More info on the subject of vaccinations is available at
http://www.ferret.org/vaccinations.htm
 
Happy ferreting!
Gina Hart/Sage Ferrets
http://www.geocities.com/sageferrets
[Posted in FML issue 2991]