I sincerely apologize to Dr. Williams for using the word irresponsible
in my post to FML.
 
In some email from another reader, it became apparent that my post was
not clear, so I am going to give this one shot at stating what I meant
to say in my note. I feel that Dr. Williams is a very responsible vet. He
gives much of his time to ferret issues, and his advice seems some of
the best.
 
And I hope that all pet owners make sure to keep pet shots up to date.
 
What I objected to was his comparing vaccinating a ferret for
distemper and rabies to vaccinating a child for rubella. I do not want
to start a debate in FML about it, because it is off topic to ferrets,
and I am going to try and be as brief as possible, while making sense.
The details and proof are not important here - parents can do their
own research, I invite them to and make the best choices for their own
family.
 
I objected for these reasons:
 
1) the difference between a 100% fatal disease (distemper in ferrets)
   and one that is not (rubella in humans)
 
2) there are more issues with human vaccinations, like family medical
   history that can come into play. (The vaccines come with a long
   list of warnings, etc)
 
3) He seemed to assume that all parents blanket vaccinate their
   children, while there is a growing trend to choose not to at all,
   or choose not to for certain vaccinations. There are even MDs that
   support this. So, if a parent decided not to vaccinate their child,
   maybe they would assume they should make the same choice for their
   pets. (Dr. Williams tied the two together)
 
4) Human vaccine issues have conflicting studies, disagreements about
   interpreting data, etc. Different countries approach medical issues
   differently.  Human doctors don't always discuss risks, etc, with
   their patients. It's clear that the issues are very different with
   these animal diseases. (We don't have a vaccine for 100% fatal aids)
 
So, I want to state again clearly - Dr Williams is, in my mind, and
outstanding and devoted vet and friend of the FML. I respect his
advice about ferrets, and appreciate the time he's taken to supporting
ferret owners all over the country. I know that finding a ferret savvy
doctor was not always easy when I needed one.
 
I hope that Dr. Williams accepts my apology, and forgives my poor choice
of words. I could have used less strong ones, and still made my point.
 
Tigger (Grace Sylvan)                Mom of Katherine Yelena, 5,
[log in to unmask]              Corey 1/31/91; we loved him so,
                                     Robin Gregory, 2.75
 
 "It seems to me that our large goal is to find the ways to help our
 children become humane and strong."
 
              - Dr Haim Ginott quoted by Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish
[Posted in FML issue 1100]