Well, frankly:
1: most do not go into anaphylactic reactions to any vaccines,
2: waiting 45 minutes is usually (not on very rare occasion not
   always) sufficient to know if a reaction will occur,
3: pre-medicating seems to reduce reaction rates
4: reaction rates as per vet reports for the new Merial Purevax CDV
   vaccine seem to be something like a tenth of the rate of previous
   vaxs so much safer
5: prompt treatment of reactions means that there are almost never deaths
6: such reactions are from my experience usually worse to observe than
   to go through (knowing both sides -- seeing the reactions and having
   such reactions myself)
 
Sometimes it is most important to think in terms of relative risks and
degree of problem if an exposure happens.  For example, in humans there
is a rotavirus which is the second leading killer of young children after
measles world wide.  Years ago a vaccine was developed but in testing an
incredibly small percentage had a fatal complication.  The work on that
vaccine was stopped even though otherwise it worked marvelously (and
work is recently on-going on a new and safer type).  For many in the
industrial world stopping that vaccine work probably didn't mean much
because of the level of medical care available, but for the rest of the
world many more children died of the disease than the vaccine would ever
have killed in the years it might have been used.
 
Each year the moderators of the FHL hear (often privately) from people
who have ferrets with Canine Distemper who are losing all of their
animals in an absolutely torturous, horrendous fashion.  Each year,
people in that position repeat, "If I'd only known." if they were given
wrong information (usually by a pet store), or "If I'd only understood."
if they had the information but ignored it.  They have had to face that
their failure to provide even the most basic veterinary care was killing
their ferrets (and for a few also their dogs) and when they write to us
they are doing so but are hoping for even a shred of hope.  It is heart
rending, the more so because these are people knowing that they could
have prevented something so terribly painful and monstrous.
 
Some ferrets can't be vaccinated due to severe illness, chemo treatments,
or past reactions.  Still vaccinating the rest reduces the exposure risk
and other precautions can also be taken, like having shoes nowhere near
where they can reach them, never bringing in an animal of unknown
vaccination status and health, etc.
 
The worst thing about those messages is that the people know they could
have easily and inexpensively prevented the horror.
---
 
There are people right here on the FML who at times couldn't afford vet
care but managed to get it.  Here are the things they have done: some
have sold belongings, some have made foster arrangements rather than
adoption arrangements with shelters, some have provided labor for vets.
Among those who have made labor arrangements with vets in exchange for
treatment are people who have: cleaned cages,done laundry, cooked meals,
done bookkeeping, created webpages for the vet hospitals and more.  This
way the ferrets get the care they need to have.
[Posted in FML issue 4296]