Would reducing amount have that effect? Sections from an AFP article (author name not noted in their release) >team at the University of British Columbian in Vancouver... >... led by Wilfred Jefferies found standard doses could be reduced >100-fold and still be safe by adding... >... [an] immune system molecule... added at low doses to vaccines >and injected into mice exposed to rabies, measles and smallpox, an >immune response kicked in to protect them from the infections. >The so-called TAP molecules deliver peptides inside cells from the >body's immune system or vaccines. If the transporter is switched off, >as in cancerous cells, disease fighters cannot be moved where they >need to go within the cell to do their job. >The results of the seven-year study, co-authored by Timothy Vitalis, >were published in a recent issue of the American journal Public >Library of Science Pathogens based in San Francisco. Public Library of Science articles are available to all so I found the URL of the actual article to help health professionals here and others who are interested: <http://pathogens.plosjournals.org/perlserv/?request=get-document &doi=10%2E1371%2Fjournal%2Eppat%2E0010036> Of course, the vast majority of ferrets never react to vaccines and almost all who do have severe reactions survive without problems other than having a known allergy thanks to prompt use of epi and other needed care. Still, if that rate could be gotten lower, so much the better, because Canine Distemper and Rabies are truly horrible tragedies, so vaccines play a large part in maintaining ferret health. -- Sukie (not a vet) Ferret Health List co-moderator http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth FHL Archives fan http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ replacing http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org International Ferret Congress advisor http://www.ferretcongress.org An OT P.S. to avoid worry: Yes, that bad fire was in a neighboring condo building, but luckily no one was hurt, and there was no danger here. (It is so strange to see helicopter footage of one's neighborhood. There were 5 fire departments here and four ambulances. That is a very hard way for people here to learn that the fireplaces here are not made for fires large enough to heat a room, and that fireplace chimneys need very regular cleaning. So, anyone who sees our street on the news -- it's not us. The phone has been ringing off the hook ever since the fire footage made the news.) [Posted in FML issue 5142]